President William Ruto is still working hard to bring peace to the region, especially in South Sudan. He believes that talking things out is the best way to make the country safe and stable again. Ruto has been pushing for a stop to the fighting in the troubled African nation, which is the youngest country on the continent. He's using his position as the head of the East African Community to try to get the opposing sides to put aside their issues for the good of South Sudan.
On Thursday, the President said he chatted with President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar about the worsening security situation in their country. Ruto urged both leaders to start a dialogue to help foster peace, even as the region tries to stabilize South Sudan under IGAD's Strategic Framework. He also let them know that talks are happening among countries in the area to figure out the best way to handle the challenges facing South Sudan.
The problems in South Sudan started way back in December 2013 when a civil war broke out. It was triggered by political disagreements within the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). The fighting spread across the nation, fueled by long-standing ethnic tensions, and forced a huge number of people to flee their homes as government troops clashed with opposition forces. This instability has continued despite multiple attempts at peace deals and ceasefires in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2024.
In June 2018, the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan led to a ceasefire and the formation of a unity government. However, implementing the agreement has been a slow process, and violence has continued. That's why Kenya stepped in to broker peace talks called the "Tumaini Initiative" in late November 2024. These talks started up again after a three-month pause and brought in major rebel groups that hadn't signed the 2018 Juba Agreement.
On Thursday, the President said he chatted with President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar about the worsening security situation in their country. Ruto urged both leaders to start a dialogue to help foster peace, even as the region tries to stabilize South Sudan under IGAD's Strategic Framework. He also let them know that talks are happening among countries in the area to figure out the best way to handle the challenges facing South Sudan.
The problems in South Sudan started way back in December 2013 when a civil war broke out. It was triggered by political disagreements within the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). The fighting spread across the nation, fueled by long-standing ethnic tensions, and forced a huge number of people to flee their homes as government troops clashed with opposition forces. This instability has continued despite multiple attempts at peace deals and ceasefires in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2024.
In June 2018, the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan led to a ceasefire and the formation of a unity government. However, implementing the agreement has been a slow process, and violence has continued. That's why Kenya stepped in to broker peace talks called the "Tumaini Initiative" in late November 2024. These talks started up again after a three-month pause and brought in major rebel groups that hadn't signed the 2018 Juba Agreement.
