A group of women mediators in South Sudan has held talks with the Former Detainees (FDs), a signatory to the country’s fragile 2018 peace agreement, as part of a concerted effort to break the political deadlock threatening the pact.
The meeting in the capital, Juba, on Friday aimed to find a consensus on reviving the stalled peace process.
The FDs are a faction of senior politicians who were detained during the civil war and signed the 2018 peace deal as a single group.
The initiative, supported by UN Women and organised by the civil society group Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), comes at a critical time, with key aspects of the agreement—including unifying the nation’s security forces and preparing for elections—seeing minimal progress.
FDs Commit to Dialogue
Speaking after the meeting, a representative of the FDs emphasised their commitment to the peace process and welcomed the women-led initiative.
“We have accepted the invitation of women mediators to interact with us, to engage with us, and it was a fruitful and very interesting dialogue,” said Akot Ajang Bior, a member of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) representing the FDs.
“We will continue to engage in dialogue because we need peace and we need a solution to be found,” he told reporters.
He stressed that the responsibility for peace lay with all parties, stating, “The solution is not for one party… all of us have the solutions. The way forward is to implement the agreements.”
The women mediators, who include figures from diverse professional backgrounds such as politics, law, and civil society, described the talks as productive.
Dr. Lorna James Elia, the Deputy Chair for the Political Party Council and a member of the women mediators, said the dialogue with the FDs focused on “the current situation and how we can continue and ensure that we bring the country back to peace.”
“We are really very grateful because the discussion was very fruitful, marked by openness, commitment and honesty,” Dr. Elia said. “We believe that dialogue is the only vehicle that will bring all of us in this country to a peaceful and sustainable peace.”
A Broader Push for Consensus
This meeting forms a key part of a wider strategy by the women mediators to engage all parties to the Revitalised Peace Agreement.
They have recently held separate talks with the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the main opposition group SPLM-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice-President Riek Machar, and the coalition of Other Political Parties (OPP).
The 2018 agreement ended a five-year civil war that cost nearly 400,000 lives. However, its implementation has repeatedly stalled, casting doubt on the future of the world’s youngest nation and its planned transition to democratic governance.