South Sudan peace talks hosted by Kenya in final stages, deal expected shortly

Peace talks bringing together South Sudan’s government and members of the holdout groups in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, have reached final stages for conclusion, with the draft peace agreement creating a leadership council, rebranding the structure of the presidency and limiting the role of the cabinet and legislature.
“Talks have progressed well. Significant signs of progress have been made and have now reached final stages,” South Sudan’s minister of information Michael Makuei has said in a statement on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC). The parties have reportedly made significant progress and are only working together with the mediation team on technicalities and language the parties would likely adopt. The draft peace agreement maintains the current structure with the president and expanded presidency to accommodate additional two members from opposition groups signatory to the Tumaini Initiative.
The draft rebrands the presidency with a structure dubbed the national leadership to provide leadership and guidance to the Joint Defense Board, the National Constitution Review Commission, the National Elections Commission, the Political Parties Council, and other agencies with relevant mandates to the implementation of the Tumaini Framework. However, critics of the process of selection of the parties at the talks are urging for inclusion, citing a need to reflect diversity and perspectives that seek to address the root causes. The opposition, not participating in the process, have portrayed the peace process as a project to facilitate a return of some former top army officers.