South Sudan’s opposition group led by the country’s first vice president Riek Machar says it has pulled out of “Tumaini” peace talks in Nairobi. The Nairobi process is between the South Sudan’s unity government and opposition groups that are not part of the 2018 peace agreement.

Riek Machar says his team is pulling out because the Nairobi process is meant to replace the 2018 peace agreement.

“The Tumaini Initiative was supposedly a mediation forum. However, in the initialed Protocols, this is not the case. The Initiative has arrogated to itself many roles including being a funder, a supervisor, a coordinator, a convener of a donor conference, a fund manager, a monitor of the implementation, a guarantor and a governing authority. Therefore, the “Tumaini Initiative” undermines the sovereignty of the Republic of South Sudan.” Reads part of statement issued by Riek Machar’s group.

The parties in talks in Nairobi, on Monday this week signed eight protocols which are meant to provide a backbone for a final deal to bring to South Sudan groups that oppose the 2018 peace deal

Mr. Machar became the first vice president as a result of the 2018 peace deal, he said “The proposed National Leadership Council (NLC) whose decisions “shall be final and not subject to approval by the Cabinet or Legislature” usurps the powers of: The National Security Council, the Presidency, the Council of Ministers, the National Legislature and Council of States.”

South Sudan’s unity government’s delegation to the talks are members representing the various parties implementing the 2018 peace agreement.

However, Riek Machar says his party members will now not be part of the talks;

“In light of the above development, the SPLM/SPLA (10) rejects the initialed Protocols and declares its withdrawal from the Tumaini Initiative as it has deviated from the intended purpose of being an Annex to R-ARCSS and not a stand-alone Agreement.” Concluded Riek Machar.