Rome Consultative Talks collapse as SSOMA rejects Kiir’s invitation to join Tumaini Initiative
A three-day meeting held in Rome with government representatives from South Sudan and Kenya has ended with the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) firmly rejecting an invitation to join the Tumaini Peace Initiative.
The invitation, extended by South Sudan’s Ambassador Albino Mathon Aboug on behalf of President Salva Kiir, sought to bring SSOMA into the peace process centered on the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
However, SSOMA reiterated its longstanding opposition to the R-ARCSS, stating that the group has never been a part of the agreement and does not support its resuscitation.
“SSOMA remains committed to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict in South Sudan, but we do not believe the Tumaini Peace Initiative is the appropriate path forward,” said SSOMA Secretary General Emmanuel Ajawin in a press statement released today.
20240816 SSOMA Press Release Rejecting to join Tumaini Peace Initiative
The rejection of the Tumaini Peace Initiative by SSOMA underscores the continued challenges facing peace efforts in South Sudan, where multiple other factions remain at odds over the path to lasting peace.
Before the meeting (facilitated by the Community of Sant’Egidio), the SSOMA Leadership Council (SSOMA-LC) met and released a Rome Declaration in which it reiterated its unwavering commitment to political dialogue as the cornerstone of achieving lasting peace in South Sudan. SSOMA-LC went on to point out that the only way forward is through addressing the root causes in an all-inclusive Roundtable Conference.
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