South Sudan’s Kiir grants powers to negotiating team with holdout group
March 9, 2024 (JUBA) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir has granted powers to a negotiating team with the country’s hold-out opposition group, signalling an interest to amicably and peacefully settle political differences through dialogue.
The office of the president, in a statement broadcast on the state-owned television (SSBC) Friday evening, said Kiir remains committed to resolving political differences with any political and armed dissident through dialogue to maintain the unity of the country and forge understanding to safeguard territorial integrity, sovereignty and social harmony of the people through peaceful dialogue.
In a separate statement, the head of the government negotiation committee, Albino Mathom Ayuel said his team is engaged pre-negotiation discussions with the holdout groups, changing views and proposals through the mediation team.
“We came to meet his excellency the President for more briefings and guidance from him, said Ayuel. We have not started negotiation yet but we are currently engaged in pre-negotiation talks with the holdout groups”, he said. This is a positive beginning and hopefully, the outcome will also be a peaceful settlement. His Excellency the president as you know is a man of peace. He wants all political issues to be resolved through peaceful dialogue and this is exactly what has kept this country in peace. Now he has given us negotiating powers”, said Ayuel.
Kiir, according footages on SSBC, met the government peace committee in preparation for negotiation with the holdout groups in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.
In December 2023, the South Sudanese leader moved the talks to Kenya without notifying the rival sides and the mediation team. Later, Kiir changed the venue of the talks previously mediated by Sant’Egidio, a group from Rome, Italy.
On January 27, however, the Kenyan President William Ruto received a list of government delegates from his South Sudanese counterpart, delivered by Presidential Special Envoy Albino Abwong in Nairobi. Kenya expressed readiness to cooperate with the Catholic church during the Italy-Africa Summit in Rome.
President Ruto, during his visit to Rome, met and held discussions with officials of Sant’ Egidio, pledging Nairobi would also work closely with the former mediators.
The hold-out group, comprising South Sudan United Front (SSUF) under former chief of general staff, Paul Malong Awan and Real-Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (Real-SPLM) led by the former secretary general of the country’s ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Pagan Amum, has accepted the mediation of Kenya and pledged commitment to peaceful means.
The National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Gen. Thomas Cirillo, the National Democratic Movement-Patriotic Front (NDM-PF) of Amb. Emmanuel Ajawin and the South Sudan National Movement for Change/Army (SSNMC/A), participated in the talk. Many of the groups, however, told Sudan Tribune in several interviews that there are some misgivings within the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA), with some members not comfortable with Kenya as mediator.
The two parties were expected to return to the negotiating table in May 2023 in Rome, two months after the government withdrew its delegation, claiming the rival side was using the talks to buy time while it prepared for armed confrontation.
However, group denies it, pushing the blame on the other side.
Meanwhile, a statement from the government peace committee expressed the commitment of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity to implement the September 2018 peace agreement to move the country forward.
(ST)