Mombasa Hotel Asks South Sudan Delegates to Vacate Amid Ongoing Peace Talks

Delegates from South Sudan were today compelled to leave their accommodations at a prominent hotel on Mombasa Road due to financial constraints.

The ongoing peace talks in Nairobi are aimed at resolving the conflict in South Sudan. Rajab Mohandi, a key figure in the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA), discloses that the delegates were informed about the limited resources available for their accommodation. The South Sudanese Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs issued a formal communication, stating that continued residence at the hotel would necessitate additional arrangements with the management.

To avoid complications, all affected delegates were required to vacate the premises by 10 am. Despite these logistical challenges, the peace talks have made substantial progress. Mohandi notes that most protocols have been addressed with only the critical issues of power-sharing and implementation matrix remaining. The power-sharing discussions involve negotiations between the transitional government and the opposition, with each side selecting seven members to finalize the protocol.

The peace talks, which commenced on May 9, have faced multiple obstacles including disagreements over the dialogue’s location and opposition to certain protocols. A major setback occurred when the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement Opposition (SPLM-IO) withdrew from the negotiations. The talks were initiated at the request of President Salva Kiir who sought President William Ruto’s mediation following concerns about previous negotiations in Rome. Ruto appointed former army commander Lazarus Kipkirui Sumbeiywo as the mediator, bringing valuable experience from his role in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that led to South Sudan’s independence.

The eviction of delegates highlights the financial difficulties plaguing the peace process. However, the Kenyan-led mediation team, under Sumbeiywo’s guidance, has been instrumental in advancing the talks. Several crucial protocols have been signed in a bid to address issues touching on security, ceasefires, communal violence, arms proliferation, land disputes, trust-building, humanitarian access, and the role of guarantors.