SSOMA members warm up to join monitoring body
The induction workshop to integrate members of the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA) into the peace monitoring mechanism has kicked off in Rome, Italy.
The eight-day workshop is being organised by the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) under the auspices of the Community of Sant’Egidio with the support of Italy and Switzerland.
It aims to forge a common understanding of the parties’ obligations as signatories to the 2017 Cessation of Hostility Agreement and the modalities of working as part of the CTSAMVM.
It also tries to identify the critical timelines and tasks required for the parties’ arrival and deployment into the CTSAMVM body, pursuant to paragraph 6 of the Final Communiqué of the CTSAMVM workshop held between December 14 and 17, 2021, in Nairobi, Kenya.
Paragraph six of the Communiqué calls for the Real SPLM and SSUF/A SSOMA parties to be fully included and operationalized into the CTSAMVM structures.
“Our work over this week and the next is very important. Your attention, full participation, and fruitful contributions are essential to the success of this workshop,” CTSAMVM Chairperson, Lt Gen Asrat Denero Amad, urged participants during his Monday’s opening remarks.
SSOMA affiliate parties such as the Real Sudan People Liberation Movement (R-SPLM) led by Gen. Pagan Amum and the South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A) of the former army chief, Gen. Paul Malaong Awan, are taking part in the conference.
Despite the overall aim to end the violation of the 2017 CoHA, one party, the National Salvation Front (NAS) of Gen. Thomas Cirilo, is not participating.
