The government of South Sudan and rebel opposition groups signed a “commitment declaration” for peace on Thursday during high-level mediation talks in Kenya.
The agreement marks a significant step towards resolving the conflict in South Sudan that has long crippled its economy.
The content of the agreement was not disclosed during the signing ceremony, which was attended by diplomats and civil society groups.
The rebel opposition groups were not part of the 2018 agreement that ended South Sudan’s five-year civil war, which resulted in 400,000 deaths and millions of displaced individuals.
Kenya’s foreign office described the agreement as a “first milestone” in the ongoing talks, where warring sides pledged their commitment to end the violence and hostilities.
At the start of the high-level mediation talks launched a week ago, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir expressed gratitude to his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, for hosting the negotiations.
The talks, named the Tumaini Initiative (Swahili for hope), are led by former Kenyan army commander Lazarus Sumbeiywo.
South Sudan is scheduled to hold elections in December but remains politically fragile. This fragility is partly due to the incomplete implementation of the 2018 peace agreement and the ongoing conflict and violence in various parts of the country, driven by ethnic and political differences.
