General Cirilo’s alliance faction issues new pre-conditions for resumption of talks with gov’t

JUBA – The South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) led by General Thomas Cirilo Swaka has issued new preconditions for resumption of talks with the government in Juba saying the holdout opposition faction won’t return to Rome without guarantees from the mediators.

The alliance’s Secretary-General Emmanuel Ajawin said the opposition alliance which comprises of four opposition groups has been invited to Rome by the mediation for a round of talks slated for June 28 to July 1 saying they won’t return to the negotiating table unless they are given guarantees.

“The coalition demands guarantees, without these guarantees, we will not resume the next round. We are not ready to sit at the negotiating table with the government in light of its continued assassinations targeting coalition leaders,” Ajawin said on June 11, according to Radio Tamazuj.

“The guarantees are what determine the resumption of the talks,” the senior opposition official added.

The alliance is an umbrella of opposition groups who refused to sign the revitalized agreement signed by the former Incumbent Transitional Government of National Unity (ITGONU), SPLM-IO led by FVP Dr. Riek Machar, SSOA, OPP and the former detainees.

It comprises 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).