January 19th 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – A South Sudan opposition alliance has welcomed last week’s signing of Rome Declaration by holdout opposition groups and South Sudan government but said it was not invited by the organizers.
Last week, South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA), comprising of Real-SPLM led by Pa’gan Amum, National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Gen. Thomas Cirilo Swaka and South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A) led by Gen. Paul Malong Awan, signed a recommitment to a 2017 ceasefire agreement as a step toward joining the ongoing peace process.
The South Sudan National Alliance for Democracy and Freedom Action (also known as NADAFA) said in the statement extended to Nyamilepedia that on Sunday that it welcomes the Rome meeting and the recommitment of the parties to the 2017 Cessation of Hostility Agreement (CoHA) but was not invited by organizers.
“The Alliance, South Sudan National Alliance for Democracy And Freedom Action, popularly known as (South Sudan NADAFA), welcomes the initiative of COMUNITÀ DI SANT’EGIDIO for peace in our country, and in particular the 12th of January ROME DECLARATION ON THE PEACE PROCESS IN SOUTH SUDAN, jointly signed with members of the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA), Government of South Sudan delegation, and COMUNITÀ DI SANT’EGIDIO in Rome, Italy,” the statement extended to Nyamilepedia partly read.
“We [South Sudan NADAFA] the Alliance, in response and support of the above stated aims, therefore register and welcome SANT’EGIDIO’s noble initiative and inclusive invitation to all non-signatories of R-ARCSS 2018 for participation in the proposed comprehensive political dialogue to achieve inclusivity and sustainable peace with the non-signatories to the R-ARCSS without exclusion of other non-signatories, and hence express our interest to participate in what NADAFA members believe would be credible, inclusive and comprehensive political engagement on the root causes of conflict in South Sudan, to be mediated by the esteemed SANT’EGIDIO peace making on behalf of the Holy See Pope Francis.
“South Sudan NADAFA also wishes to clarify that the Alliance members were not informed of SANT’EGIDIO’s invitation to non-signatories of R-ARCSS to participate in the lead up process to ROME DECLARATION ON THE PEACE PROCESS IN SOUTH SUDAN, otherwise the Alliance [NADAFA] would have engaged and participated fully in SANT’EGIDIO’s genuine search for a just and sustainable peace in our country from the start.”
The statement went on to explain that the People’s Democratic Movement – a founding member of the NADAFA alliance – “was one of the parties to the former High Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) peace process (21 December 2017 – 12 September 2018) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, also a signatory to the CoHA[1] of 21 December 2017, and is un-armed non-signatory to R-ARCSS 2018 that formed the South Sudan National Alliance for Democracy And Freedom Action (South Sudan NADAFA) on February 13th, 2019.”
