JUBA, South Sudan — The peace talks in South Sudan, which were on the verge of a breakthrough, have hit a significant roadblock. Opposition groups are demanding the removal of a newly passed bill that allows for the detention of individuals without an arrest warrant before they agree to sign a proposed peace agreement.
Hosted by Kenya since May, these high-level meetings involve government representatives and rebel groups that were not part of the 2018 peace agreement. That agreement ended a brutal five-year civil war, which resulted in approximately 400,000 deaths and millions of displaced people. Despite the agreement, violence continues to plague the nation of nine million.
Pagan Amum Okiech, representing the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance, stated that signing any agreement would be “meaningless” if the controversial National Security Act is enacted. “This law violates the fundamental rights and freedoms of South Sudanese citizens; it eliminates civic and political space,” Amum said. “There can be no peace or democracy under such a law.”
Last week, parliament approved the 2015 bill, which now awaits President Salva Kiir’s approval within 30 days to become law. This development comes ahead of the country’s first-ever election scheduled for December 22.
The executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, Edmund Yakani, who is also attending the talks, criticized the security bill, saying it “created a negative spirit for the negotiations.” Yakani’s organization works with university students and recent graduates to foster community engagement.
Human Rights Watch has urged President Kiir to reject the bill, arguing that it will further undermine human rights and bolster national security agencies with a history of rights abuses.
The peace talks, known as Tumaini (Swahili for hope), have produced a draft agreement that proposes extending the transitional period and postponing the upcoming election. This delay would allow time to complete the country’s constitution, electoral laws, constituency borders, and the formation of a unified security force, as outlined in the 2018 peace talks.
Some Western envoys also support delaying the election to ensure it is free and fair. However, President Kiir remains firm on holding the election in December and has criticized the envoys for suggesting a delay.