CEPO welcomes resumption of Rome peace talks

The Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO) has welcomed President Salva Kiir’s decision to resume the negotiations with the holdout groups.

The CEPO statement came after Kiir ordered the resumption of the Rome peace talks, which involve the government and the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOMA).

The directive broke a four-month-long lull after he unilaterally suspended the talks, citing a violation of the ceasefire deal, and accusing the holdout groups of conducting attacks that led to the brutal murder of Catholic nuns along the Juba-Nimule road on August 16, 2021.

 Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO, said the government’s decision means political differences cannot be resolved with guns.

“Dialogue remains the only option for a durable solution to political differences.” This is embraced by many actors across the region and globally, ” said Yakani in a press statement seen by The City Review.

Yakani urged the warring parties to utilise the initiative to restore peace in the country and to focus on security, humanitarian needs, economic issues, and governance issues.

Kiir said the decision to resume the talks was moved by calls from many people, including Pope Francis of the Catholic Church and civil society.

“Since we took this decision, many voices have appealed to us to reconsider our position and give inclusive peace a chance. The Holy Father, Pope Francis’ continuous prayers for peace in our country added urgency to the need to resume talks with SSOMA, ” Kiir said.

Deal initiated

The government and the opposition group, SSOMA, inked the Rome Declaration of Principles for the Cessation of Hostilities in 2017.

Kiir said he decided to call off talks with the group due to road ambushes that took place along the Juba-Nimule highway, and Yei-Juba roads, that claimed the lives of innocent civilians who were travelling along the roads.

The victims included Catholic nuns who were returning from Loa to Juba after participating in the centennial of Loa Parish in August.

The President accused members of SSOMA of being behind the attacks on civilians on the two roads that he said were a violation of the declaration of principles the government had signed with the group.

He specifically directed the accusation to the National Salvation Front (NAS) under the command of Gen. Thomas Cirilo, the accusation being denied by SSOMA.

But the Cirilo-led faction denied the accusations and blamed the government security forces for carrying out the attacks.

However, on Monday, Kiir directed the Community of Sant’ Egidio to prepare for the resumption of Rome peace talks.