South Sudan’s Pagan, Cirilo and Malong say new alliance not political, military

JUBA – South Sudan holdout opposition leaders General Pagan Amum, General Cirilo Swaka, General Paul Malong, and Emmanuel Ajawin, have said that the rebel alliance formed earlier this month is not political nor a military alliance.

In a statement on July 13, five opposition groups rejected plans by President Salva Kiir Mayardit for extension of the transitional period, calling for a high-level meeting of all political forces outside the country to pave way for formation of a technocratic or hybrid government.

In the statement, General Thomas Cirilo, the leader of the National Salvation Front (NA), Pagan Amum Okiech, leader of the Real SPLM, General Paul Malong Awan, leader of the South Sudan United Front (SSUF), Emmanuel Ajawin, leader of the National Democratic Movement (NDM-PF), Thomas Tut Doap, leader of the UDRM and Alex Yatta Lukadi, leader of the SSNM, called for a technocratic government.

“Due to this unattainable reality, it is incumbent upon all the stakeholders in the country, from the political organizations, civil society, faith-based organizations, women, and youth groups to collectively reject the extension of the period of R-TGONU and decide the future of the country to avoid its collapse into chaos and disintegration,” they said

“We the Non-Signatory South Sudan Opposition Parties, who rejected the R-ARCSS, and now driven by the noble goal to rescue our state and our nation from collapse and disintegration, call on all south Sudanese political forces and all the other South Sudanese stakeholders from civil society, faith based, women and youth organizations to forge a way forward, formalizing the current discussion and to build consensus which will lead to the establishment of a New transition with a government of Technocrats/Hybrid government, as the R-TGONU Transitional Period comes to an end by February 2023,” they added.

Speaking to Sudans Post on July 15, a senior opposition official allied to Gen. Malong said NSSSOG is a military alliance aimed at leading the people of South Sudan in the fight against the government of President Salva Kiir which they accused of having no will to implement the agreement it signed in 2018.

“The Non-Signatories South Sudanese Oppositions Group (NSSSOG) is a military alliance formed by the people of South Sudan through the five groups to lead them in the fight against the dictatorship of President Salva Kiir Mayardit,” the official told Sudans Post on condition of anonymity.

But when contacted by Sudans Post, Emmanuel Ajawin, the leader of the NDM-PF refused to admit or deny if the NSSSOG is a military alliance, but said the new consortium aims to bring together all stakeholders for change.

“Well everybody can analyze it in their own way,” he said of the assertion that the alliance’s objective is purely military. “We intend to bring people together including civil society, youth and women.”

In a statement this morning, the NSSSOG said is not political nor a military alliance.

“The South Sudan Non-Signatory Opposition Groups (NSSOG) is not a political alliance but a group of political organizations who share the noble goal of rescuing the country from collapse and disintegration. The groups that signed the call are separate groups, shall continue to be separate groups and will include other groups who will join the call,” the statement reads in part.

“The NSSOG is not a military alliance,” it added.

It said that alliance aim to call on “the stake-holders, the opposition groups, the civil society, faith-based organizations, women and youth to build consensus on how to end dictatorship, corruption and impunity in South Sudan and forge a way forward beyond 2023.”

It said that “the joint statement and NSSSOG is not in any way a reunion of the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) or a replacement of SSOMA” and urged the public “to be vigilant against false reports being circulated by some media houses and individuals in the social media.”

“We call on all the South Sudanese stakeholders to convene a round table conference in a neutral venue conducive to freely exchange ideas about the fate of the country and to agree on a new dispensation beyond February 2023.

“We also call on our regional and continental organizations; the East African Community, IGAD and the African Union as well as on the United Nation and members of TROIKA and indeed all the friends of South Sudan to support this inclusive call for the holding of a ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE and to render the necessary support for its success in rescuing South Sudan from total collapse.”