Expert says government-opposition Rome talks lost direction

JUBA – A Juba-based South Sudanese experts has said that ongoing peace talks between the government and South Sudan Opposition Movements’ Alliance (SSOMA) in Rome has lost direction days after the parties inked a deal to include the opposition consortium into a ceasefire monitoring body.

The parties negotiating peace deal in Rome, Italy under the auspices of the Sant’Egidio resolved on Saturday that South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOMA) led by Pagan Amum and Paul Malong be included in ceasefire monitoring body, the CTSAMVM.

The Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, CTASMVM, is a body tasked to monitor and verify the implementation of the agreement on Cessation of Hostilities as per the 2018 peace deal.

Abraham Kuol Nyuon, professor of political science at the University of Juba argues that including SSOMA in the ceasefire monitoring body without operationalizing the agreement is harmful to Rome’s peace agreement.

“It seems the discussions in Rome might have lost the direction because they (parties) don’t understand what should be the priority,” Kuol told Sudans Post on Sunday morning.

“If SSOMA is included in CTSAMVM it couldn’t make any sense at this time because the inclusion will only be in the document but it will not be operational,” Kuol said on the phone interview on Sunday.

Kuol arguing that prioritizing monitoring mechanisms before the final signing of the agreement will not yield good fruits.

“In this case, there are inviting problems because there are high chances if security people either from SPLA-IO or SSPDF who are part of the mechanism visit areas under the control of SSOMA, there is a possibility that these people might get killed,” he said.

He argued that monitoring of forces could only be effective when the forces are able to visit each other territories without fear or threat of attack.

“The possibility of monitoring forces will only be effective when there is a total agreement between the Revitalized Government of National Unity and the SSOMA,” he stated.

He advised the parties to put on hold the provision of including SSOMA in a monitoring body to pave way for the final realization of the deal.

“The parties need to be put on hold including SSOMA in CTSAM as per their document for sometimes until the operationalization of the entire agreement is realized,” he said.

The Sant’Egidio Catholic community-based in Rome initiated the mediation between the government and the South Sudan Opposition Alliance or SSOMA in November 2019.

The mediation is aimed at supporting an inclusive peace agreement in South Sudan by persuading the holdout groups to join the revitalized peace deal signed in September 2018.