Tumaini Initiative was a Real Test Measuring Political Attitude and Commitment of the Incumbent Leaders Working together in South Sudan

By: Edmund Yakani

Tumaini initiative was a real test for measuring political attitudes and commitment of the incumbent leaders for working together for genuine political transitional process in South Sudan. The last 5 years’ slow implementation of the transitional process is now proven as was due to limited political commitment for transitioning the situation from instability to stability by the leaders in the incumbent government of national unity.

Mr. Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO, says H.E. president and first vice president should really demonstrate the primary responsibility of holding their subordinates that now show clearly that they are not for genuine political transitional process. The limited interest was evidently demonstrated in the framing of transitional period extension without proper implementation matrix developed until today while time is running out. Additionally, they took step of preventing smooth conclusion of the Tumaini initiative, which offers concrete political farmwork for genuine transitioning from violence to peace without replacing R-ARCSS.

The failure of the Tumaini initiative will be directly the primary responsibility of the presidency because it seems the presidency are less interested in securing genuine political transitional process by embracing more actions of spoiling transitional process than actions that aim at securing successful political transitional processes in the country. The time and funds worsened in the 5 years on the name of political transitional processes could have the country gain tangible results. But the opposite is true, individuals walked away with funds for their personal gains in the name of financing transitional process for the last 5 years. Mr. Yakani stressed.

Finally, CEPO is afraid that the current division among the incumbent leaders as pro-Tumaini group verse Anti-Tumaini group may drag the country for delay in deliverance of genuine political transitional process. The timeline disclosed for extended two more years for the transitional period clearly demonstrated evidence that holding of elections by December 2026 have limited chances. It seems the parties want to remain in power in the name of the transitional period extensions.