President William Ruto has appointed former Army Commander Lazarus Sumbeiywo as the Chief Mediator for the South Sudan Mediation Peace Process.
According to a communique from State House, Ruto made the appointment at the request of President Salva Kiir of South Sudan.
At the same time, President Ruto has also appointed Ambassador Mohammed Ali Guyo as the Assistant Mediator.
In appointing the two Kenyans, President Ruto said elections in South Sudan are scheduled by December this year and his South Sudanese counterpart had, therefore, requested him to facilitate talks in Nairobi with opposition groups and other sections of society in that country.
These include holdout opposition groups organized under the rubric of South Sudan Opposition Alliance, religious groups and civil society. The talks are meant to achieve consensus and peace towards the conduct of the election.
Outlining his mandate, the President said Sumbeiywo would provide “the day-to-day leadership of the South Sudan Mediation Peace Process on my behalf”.
He will also facilitate negotiations and interaction among the parties to achieve “peace and political stability in South Sudan”.
Sumbeiywo will report directly to President Ruto and provide monthly reports.
In addition, he will also provide periodic updates to all stakeholders, which include the Advisory Panel, Partners Forum, and Stakeholders Forum, among others.