![Holdout opposition leaders, General Paul Malong, Pagan Amum and General Thomas Cirilo Swaka [Photo designed by Sudans Post]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Untitled-design-9.png?resize=533%2C300&ssl=1)
General Pagan, leader of Real SPLM, and General Malong, leader of South Sudan United Front, are co-chairs of one faction of South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA), while General Cirilo, the leader of the National Salvation Front (NAS) heads the other faction of SSOMA.
Malong and Pagan’s faction consist of the two leaders’ groups, while Cirilo’s faction consists of the National Salvation Front (NAS), the National Democratic Movement-Patriotic Front (NDM-PF), the South Sudan National Movement for Change/Army (SSNMC/A), and the United Democratic Revolution Movement/Army (UDRM/A).
The unified SSOMA split last year after General Cirilo dismissed Pagan and Malong from alliance over allegations that they were in contact with the government of President Kiir in Juba and that they were sabotaging the alliance.
Paolo Impagliazzo, the secretary-general of Sant’Egidio Community, the Rome-based mediating body, said the three opposition leaders have decided to reunite their factions and negotiate with the government under one opposition body.
“What is new is that the former SSOMA factions decided to reunite. The former SSOMA parties have decided to be together, they are not SSOMA anymore; they are now called Non-Signatories South Sudanese Oppositions Group,” Impagliazzo is quoted by Radio Tamazuj as saying.
Impagliazzo further disclosed that the mediating body plans to organize a face-to-face meeting between the government and the unified South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance in Italy in November.
“So, this is the new thing for us. There is a possibility of organizing a meeting for all of them. The meeting is expected to be in mid-November in Rome, but the date is yet to be set,” he explained.
For his part, the Garang Malual, the spokesman of the Malong-led South Sudan United Front (SSUF/A) confirmed the reunification and said the new name for the alliance is the Non-Signatories South Sudanese Opposition Groups (NSSSOG).
“The new name for the group is Non-Signatories South Sudanese Oppositions Group. SSOMA led by General Thomas Cirillo, and SSOMA, led by General Paul Malong and Pagan Amum, have come together. The spokesperson of the new alliance is Pagan Amum,” he said.
