This week, South Sudan’s transitional assembly renews commitment to peacebuilding. Sudan government says US peace plan conditional on Rapid Support Forces (RSF) withdrawal. Malaysia to get involved in South Thailand peace dialogue efforts.
South Sudan’s Transitional Assembly Renews Commitment to Peacebuilding
Members of South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislative Assembly have renewed their commitment to peacebuilding and reconciliation amidst the country’s conflict between the military, loyal to president Salva Kiir, and insurgents believed to be allied with the suspended vice-president Riek Machar. On July 15, Eye Radio reported that members of the assembly had signed a church-facilitated Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW).
The DPCW offers a framework to: prevent conflict; promote peaceful dispute resolution; strengthen international cooperation; and encourage a culture of peace. The organization that developed the DPCW was a South Korean civil society organization called Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL).
After lawmakers revealed the legal basis and implications of Resolution 29/2025, South Sudan’s parliament adopted it. This development comes after earlier engagements with the judiciary and president Salva Kiir’s endorsement of DPCW in 2024.
Sudan Government Says US Peace Plan Conditional on RSF Withdrawal
Sudan’s government says that in order for it to accept a US peace plan, the plan must include the complete withdrawal and disarmament of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from all cities under its rule, as reported by Anadolu on July 11.
Two senior Sudanese officials told Anadolu on condition of anonymity that the government had responded to the US by submitting a document titled Restoring Peace in Sudan. The document, they said, outlines outlines security arrangements requiring the RSF to withdraw from all cities under its control, disarm and demobilize its militants, and reintegrate eligible personnel into the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under UN supervision following a permanent ceasefire.
The document also calls for preserving the SAF as a unified national army under government authority, with all armed groups integrated into it.
The US peace plan includes a 90-day humanitarian truce to lead to negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and a civilian-led transition towards elections. It also includes establishing a UN-led mechanism to support the phased withdrawal of the RSF, particularly from North Darfur and North Kordofan.
On July 14, Sudan Tribune reported that the RSF had submitted a response to the US peace plan outlining conditions for a political settlement while rejecting withdrawal. An RSF leader told the outlet that the group’s proposal includes a package of conditions related to security arrangements, restructuring state institutions, transitional justice, and a political dialogue leading to a transitional government.
On July 13, U.S. Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos warned against premature reports of a breakthrough.
Malaysia to Get Involved in South Thailand’s Peace Dialogue Efforts
Malaysia plans to get involved in South Thailand’s peace dialogue efforts. Malaysia will work closely with Thailand’s newly appointed chief of the Peace Dialogue Panel of the Royal Thai Government, Malay Mail reported on July 14.
Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said, “We support efforts to ensure that southern Thailand remains peaceful. With the new appointment, we hope to make the peace process a success and achieve the objectives we are striving for.”
Nordin added that Malaysia supports Thailand’s continued commitment to resolving its border issue with Cambodia bilaterally through the ‘Asean Way’, which emphasises peaceful dialogue.
Thailand’s ‘Deep South,’ which includes the provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat, as well as four districts of Songkhla province, is the center of an ongoing conflict. Muslim separatist groups, most notably the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), wish for the region to secede from the rest of Thailand. Human rights groups have criticized the Thai government’s crackdowns and heavy-handed policies in response to the insurgency.
Keywords: South Sudan, Sudan, Thailand, South Thailand, Southern Thailand, Malaysia, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, dialogue, insurgency
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
