Oct 11, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — Responding to allegations from the Italian capital, Rome, South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA) denies allegations that the opposition alliance is campaigning for what is popularly known as “Kokora” or regional self-governance.
Earlier reports that have been trending on social media alleged that the SSOMA Leadership under Gen. Thomas Cirilo has called on the Dinka and Nuer to leave Equatoria or that they should not own land in Nimule and other parts of Equatoria.
The allegations have it that Dr. John Garang’s tomb to be removed from Equatoria and that Salva Kiir should resign and move to Warrap, among other.
“No anybody within SSOMA pertainity said or wrote that Dinka and Nuer should leave Equatoria land. Nuer or Dinka shouldn’t be given land in Nimule.Dr John Garang’s tomb to be removed from Juba and taken to Bor or any dinka land. Equatoria to be separated from Bhar el ghazal and upper Nile. Salva kiir Mayardit to resign and move to Warrap. Dinka Bor must take their cattle away from Nimule. And on other hand Nhial Deng Nhial rejected the demand made by Thomas Cirilo and condemned it in strong terms.” Deng Vanang SOMA delegation’s official Spokesman said from Rome.
The SSOMA denies what they called “fake news currently circulating in social media”, saying it “is abundantly and categorically to be made clear that SSOMA has no intention whatsoever to demand for the reintroduction of kokora or geo-political balkanization, on regional basis, of the modern Republic of South Sudan.”
“That fake news should be treated as a well choreographed ploy meant to paint SSOMA as an Equatorian front for the return of the 1983 kokora era.” Deng Vanang continued.
The SSOMA Secretary General went on to say that NAS Chairman and Commander-in-Chief, General Thomas Cirilo Sawaka, to whom the allegation is attributed to “doesn’t in any way subscribe to such decadent ideology of making our beloved South Sudan an enclave of ethno-regional chauvinism.”
The Opposition Movement Alliance is currently divided in Rome with the main faction that consist of four opposition movements under Gen. Thomas Cirilo and the second faction with two halves of opposition movements under Gen. Paul Malong Awan.
Malong’s group has divided into two with one faction under his former Secretary General Sunday de John that leans toward Thomas Cirilo’s led SSOMA and other half under Malong that is now working with the Real SPLM of Pagan Amum.
While Cde. Pagan has not travelled to Rome since he had internal issues with other SSOMA Leadership who claim to have kicked him out of the alliance, two of his Real SPLM members, Gen. Oyai Deng Ajak and Cirilo Iteng, are in Rome with Malong’s group.
The two factions are being listened to separately by the Roman Catholic mediating community Sant’Egidio.
While the main SSOMA coalition under Thomas Cirilo and the government delegation agreed to review the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement that shall be monitored and verified by the Sant’Egidio for three months, Malong and Pagan SSOMA faction are yet to make a breakthrough with the government delegation.
