President William Ruto on Wednesday skipped a key virtual meeting of regional leaders to discuss the escalating fighting in South Sudan.
Instead, the President spent the day launching projects and holding rallies in the capital Nairobi.
He was represented by National Security Adviser Monica Juma at the 43rd Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government.
Other heads of state/ government who skipped the meeting were Ethiopia PM Abiy Ahmed, South Sudan’s Salva Kiir, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni and Eritrea’s Isaias Afwerki.
IGAD, the guarantor of the revitalized 2018 South Sudan peace agreement, announced on Monday it would hold an emergency meeting to discuss South Sudan. The meeting was set at 11am.
Inter-communal fighting had been ongoing in South Sudan but escalated in Upper Nile state
in February after fighting broke out between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPSF) and “armed youth” in Nasir.
The President is a critical player in the region, and in particular the South Sudan peace process, given the historical role Kenya has played in the negotiations.
President Ruto has also been hosting the Tumaini Initiative for the last 11 months in Nairobi on the request of South Sudan President Salva Kiir.
The Tumaini Initiative was launched in May 2024, and brings on board the holdout groups that did not sign the 2018 peace agreement.
Their demands are a new interim government, justice sector reforms and establishment of a Hybrid Court of South Sudan. Others are security re-arrangement and a unified army, reconstitution of Strategic Defence and Security Review Board and restructuring of government to accommodate them.
On February 20, however, President Ruto announced another “adjournment” of the talks to allow for consultations, indicating a deadlock.
On March 6, as the situation escalated, Ruto announced he had called President Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar about the insecurity in South Sudan.
“I implored both leaders to engage in dialogue towards fostering peace in the country even as the region works towards the stabilisation of South Sudan under IGAD’s Strategic Framework.
“I also informed the two leaders that regional consultations are underway to determine the best path forward for the situation in South Sudan,” Ruto said.
Ruto’s absence in a meeting he indicated he was involved in its preparational consultations raises eyebrows, especially coming at a time the Horn of Africa faces a turmoil.
IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said the security situation underwent a marked deterioration on March 4, when an estimated 6,000 White Army combatants overran a SSPDF) encampment in Nasir, inflicting significant casualties and dispersing government forces. 16.
“This incident, occurring a mere day after the leadership of South Sudan exchanged mutual assurances of the absence of hostile intent, contributes to an erosion of trust within the leadership of South Sudan,” he said in his opening statement.
He added that the situation escalated further on March 7, when an operation by the UN Mission in South Sudan to evacuate stranded SSPDF personnel resulted in a tragic loss of life, including the late General Majur Dak, several soldiers, and a UN crew member.
“This incident has been condemned by the UN as a potential war crime, prompting calls for a thorough investigation,” Gebeyehu said.
The IGAD Secretariat proposed an urgent dialogue between the leadership of South Sudan, facilitated by a Head of State from within the IGAD region and a joint public declaration affirming their commitment to peace.
It also called for additional support to the Tumaini Initiative that is engaging non-signatories to the agreement and a comprehensive strategy for the inclusion of all communities and stakeholders.
