JUBA – South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit has said he has forgiven holdout opposition leaders who have recently signed a re-commitment to ceasefire deal in Rome, Italy.
The leaders Kiir said has forgiven includes General Thomas Cirilo, the leader of National Salvation Front (NAS), Pagan Amum, the leader of Real-SPLM, General Paul Malong Awan, the leader of South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A).
In a republican order read on the state-run television on Tuesday evening, Kiir granted a general amnesty to all the leaders of the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA).
The presidential pardon comes as the government and SSOMA agreed on 13 January to resume talks “under the auspices of Sant’Egidio in consultation with IGAD” to achieve an inclusive peace in the country.
The SSOMA includes the Real Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (R-SPLM), National Salvation Front (NAS), South Sudan United Front (SSUF) and the United Democratic Revolutionary Movement/Army (UNDRM/A), National Democratic Movement-PF (NDM-PF), and Sudan National Movement for Change (SSNMC).
The Rome Declaration includes a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access to civilians in the conflict-affected zones. Also, the signatories committed themselves to “discuss and evaluate together – in Sant’Egidio – mechanisms to resolve differences”.
