As the world look for solution to the conflict in South Sudan, Parties to the peace agreement should display political will toward dialogue.
This will help toward ending violations to the peace agreement as well as gain trust from the region and the international community.
From the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan in 2018 to repeated ceasefire commitments, progress has been fragile and inconsistent.
Today, the emerging Tumaini Peace Initiative offers a renewed opportunity to stabilize the nation but only if South Sudan’s peace parties demonstrate genuine political will.
The people of South Sudan have endured displacement, economic collapse, food insecurity, and the trauma of protracted conflict. Millions remain internally displaced or refugees in neighboring countries.
Public confidence in political leaders has steadily eroded as deadlines are extended and key provisions of peace agreements remain unimplemented. In this context, Tumaini meaning “hope” must not become another symbolic gesture without substance.
Political will is not expressed through speeches at podiums or ceremonial handshakes. It is demonstrated through concrete actions: honoring ceasefires, unifying armed forces, implementing security sector reforms, preparing credible elections, and creating space for inclusive political dialogue.
Peace parties must move beyond narrow political calculations and prioritize national stability over personal or factional advantage.
The Parties to the 2018 peace agreement carries particular responsibility in ensuring that dialogue resume.
Their rivalry has shaped much of the country’s political trajectory since independence.
If Tumaini is to succeed, both leaders must send clear and consistent signals to their supporters and security forces that compromise is not weakness but statesmanship.
Equally important is the inclusion of holdout groups, civil society organizations, women’s movements, faith leaders, and youth representatives.
Sustainable peace cannot be brokered solely among elite political actors. It must be owned by the broader society. Regional actors, including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and continental institutions such as the African Union, should continue to provide facilitation and oversight, but the ultimate responsibility rests with South Sudanese leaders themselves.
The Tumaini Peace Initiative should focus not only on power-sharing arrangements but also on addressing the root causes of conflict: competition over resources, weak institutions, ethnic polarization, and lack of accountability. Without reforms in governance, justice, and economic management, peace agreements risk becoming temporary pauses rather than permanent solutions.