Malong, Amum ready for Rome talks

The South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A), led by former Chief of General Staff Paul Malong, has expressed readiness to re-join the Roma peace talks.

SSUF/A’s positive gesture comes after President Salva Kiir issued a directive for the resumption of the peace talks during the closure of the recent governors’ forum in Juba.

According to the SSUF/A Deputy Chief of General Staff for Training and Research, Daniel Mach, the SSOMA group comprising his party and the Real SPLM/A of Pagan Amum are just waiting for communication on the date for the resumption of talks from the Sant’Egidio community.

Ready for talks

Mach said among the South Sudan Opposition Alliance Movement (SSOMA), it was only the National Salvation Front (NAS) of Gen. Thomas Cirilo, that was not willing to join the negotiations.

“They do not believe the peace is legitimate,” he said, adding that SSUF/A would only decline to participate if the venue of the negotiation was shifted to Juba.

“We are waiting for the official date to resume talks. The NAS (of Thomas Cirilo) has refused the talks, but our group is ready to go back to the negotiation table,” he reiterated.

According to a media report, the Secretary-General of Sant’Egidio, Paolo Impagliazzo, and the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) had promised to organise a workshop before Christmas for the opposition groups to prepare them for the resumption of negotiations next year in January.

The decision has been welcomed by Mr Malong and Mr Amum.

Directive issued

At the closing of the governors’ forum at Freedom Hall last month, in Juba, President Salva Kiir ordered the resumption of Rome peace talks with the holdout groups.

Kiir said he had received countless calls from many, including Pope Francis of the Vatican, who had asked him to allow the talks to resume.

 “Many voices have appealed to us to reconsider our position and give inclusivity a chance. Yes, because of this, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, has been consistently praying for South Sudan and has been appealing to me to let the Rome talks resume, ” he said.

“I will now call on the Community of Sant’Egidio to begin preparations for the resumption of the Rome talks with the holdout groups without preconditions.”

The Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) chairperson, Teshome Gemechu Aderie, said that the resumption of talks was a ticket to ending alleged attacks by the National Salvation Front (NAS).

He further lauded the president for allowing the resumption of talks without conditions, adding that it would ensure the country achieves tangible peace.

 “Since the last meeting [on October 27], there have been three incidents allegedly involving NAS forces in Central Equatoria that CTSAMVM has been made aware of.

“We are investigating this incident, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of three SSPDF soldiers and one civilian,” said Gemechu.

 “CTSAMVM greatly appreciates the decision by the government to resume the Rome peace talks’ process without preconditions, as these incidents allegedly involving NAS have negative impacts on security in some parts of the country.”

Initial efforts

Impagliazzo visited the country in October and pleaded with President Kiir to unfreeze the talks.

Kiir said the only option was for the holdout groups to show interest in the peace deal by averting killings, looting, and torching of vehicles, among other criminal acts he blamed them of perpetrating.

“It is only when they meet these conditions that genuine dialogue will resume,” Kiir stressed at the inauguration of the first season of the parliament in September.

The opposition groups hit back, saying that the reason for pulling out of talks was the lack of viable peace in the country.

The talks

SSOMA and the coalition government launched peace talks in 2019 after the holdout group refused to sign the revitalised peace agreement. They claimed that the agreement did not address the underlying causes of the conflict in South Sudan.

The opposition leaders who refused to sign the agreement were Thomas Cirilo, the leader of the National Salvation Front (NAS); Paul Malong Awan, the leader of the South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A); and Pagan Amum, the Chairperson of the Real Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (R-SPLM).

In 2020, SSOMA entered into the 2017 cessation of hostility agreement and signed the declaration of principle agreement, which led to the formation of the Rome Peace Negotiations under the mediation of the Sant’Egidio community.

The major challenges that stabbed the negotiations in the back were political differences and accusations levied on some of the political parties.

In April, SSOMA protested negotiations, claiming that the security personnel loyal to the government lynched one of their senior officers in Kampala, an accusation rubbished by the government.

“The quest for inclusive peace and stability in our country remains our priority,” Kiir said.

“In my recent speech to the joint session of parliament, I announced the halt of talks with the holdout groups. We took this decision [in protest of] the killing of innocent civilians on major roads and highways by elements from the South Sudan Movement Alliance (SSOMA). It was not because of our weakness. “

Kiir suspended the talks in August following countless atrocities committed against civilians, including the killing of the Catholic Nuns along the Juba-Nimule Highway, which was blamed on the NAS forces.

He earlier said that there were no efforts from the holdout groups towards negotiations. He said that it was not a wise decision to leave the country dragging through the stalemate.

“What compelled us to suspend the talks was this killing that took place after we signed the cessation of hostilities agreement and the declaration of principle with SSOMA.”

 “Now that they have refused to respect and comply with the agreement that we have signed, I will, despite the challenges, order the resumption of talks.”