Civil Society Steps In
Edmund Yakani, a prominent civil society advocate, plans to convene a new dialogue among signatories of South Sudan’s 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement next month.
He told Eye Radio the initiative answers citizens urging leaders to unblock the peace process before tensions slide back into full-scale conflict.
Regional Tensions and Recent Clashes
Warning notes from IGAD and the UN followed March clashes in Nasir between government forces and the SPLM/SPLA-IO, with intermittent skirmishes reported elsewhere since.
Analysts fear unresolved disputes over security arrangements could reignite a conflict that already displaced millions.
An Inclusive Roundtable
Yakani says the forum will seat women’s groups, youth leaders, traditional chiefs and persons with disabilities alongside political parties, including factions outside the 2018 deal.
“We must craft our own answers,” he stressed, arguing that local ownership will strengthen commitments and reduce spoilers.
Homegrown Solutions over External Pressure
The organiser believes a domestically driven process can lessen dependence on foreign mediation and discourage rivals from defaulting to arms.
Diplomats in Juba privately welcome any initiative capable of putting momentum back into a stalled transition set to culminate in elections.