South Sudan's holdout rebel groups are welcoming the government’s decision to resume the Rome peace talks ahead of Pope Francis’s visit to Juba this week.
South Sudan’s minister for presidential affairs announced last weekend that the political dialogue with opposition groups who did not sign the 2018 peace agreement will begin again..
The Rome peace talks were mediated by the Community of Sant' Egidio, based in Rome.
Pagan Amum, leader of the opposition group ‘The Real SPLM’ ‘told South Sudan In Focus that the decision to return to the Rome talks is good, but says he is suspicious about the government’s motivation.
“This statement lifting the suspension of the Rome peace talks is showing that the only reason they are lifting the restrictions is the visit of his holiness, the Pope to South Sudan. That means there was no reason to suspend the government participation in the Sant ‘Egidio community-mediated process last year,” Amum said.
A number of holdout groups united under the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance have been in talks with the government in a bid to be included in the revitalized peace deal.
The Alliance includes NAS, run by General Thomas Cirilo Swaka, the South Sudan United Front led by General Paul Malong Awan, and the Real SPLM .
Suba Samuel, spokesperson of the National Salvation Front (NAS) says the holdout groups welcome the government’s new position.
“If they have accepted to come back, let them come to Rome and hear what is the gist behind the roundtable conference,” Samuel told South Sudan in Focus.
The transitional government of national unity walked out of the talks twice when it accused NAS rebels of killing four people including two Catholic nuns along the Juba-Nimule highway, an accusation the NAS denied.
The second boycott was last November when Presidential Affairs Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said the South Sudan opposition group was buying time to prepare for war, a charge the group dismissed.
Holdout groups united under the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance have been in talks with the government in a bid to be included in the revitalized peace deal. The Alliance includes NAS, run by General Thomas Cirilo Swaka, the South Sudan United Front led by General Paul Malong Awan, and the Real SPLM under the leadership of Pagan Amum.