Malong says clash with SSPDF threat to Rome Talks
The South Sudan United Front/Army (SSDF/A) led by the former Chief of Staff of SSPDF, Paul Malong Awan, has said the attack on their forces in Lakes State could threaten the Rome Peace talks.
SSUF/A, a member movement of the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA), together with Real SPLM led by Pagan Amum and the National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Thomas Cirilo, has been holding peace talks with the government.
The Deputy military spokesperson of the South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A), Maj Philip Deng Kuol Nguot, on Friday disclosed that an attack on their forces at War-Adhiric area, Rumbek Central County, Lakes State by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), was a threat to Rome talks with the government.
Deng claimed that their forces incurred minor injuries while government forces lost six soldiers and two wounded.
He added that SSUF/A had captured 9 AK47 rifles, 1PKM machine gun and that their forces were still in control of War-Adhiric, Lakes State.
“The official SSUF/A Deputy Military Spokesman, dearly seizes this position to update the public, South Sudanese at large and the international community about the government’s declaration of the full scale of war against mighty SSUF/A movement in disguise and this is confirmed to us by numerous offensives orchestrated by government forces on our positions across the country,” Deng said.
“In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the regime’s large-scale anti-peace campaign against our forces.”This is an engine of peace distraction and may derail the tabled Rome peace initiative, if not with a watchful eye.”
The SSUF/A Deputy Spokesperson called for the intervention of the African Union (AU), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the community of Sant’Egidio to investigate the attack on their forces.
“SSUF/A immediately calls upon the regional blocs, the AU, IGAD and the international community, particularly the community of Sant’Egidio, to separately investigate these massive assaults on our forces by government troops and hold those responsible for these malicious attacks accountable,” he said.
He assured the public of their movement’s commitment to the Rome talks, slated to resume any time this month.
“We remind the South Sudanese societies within the country or in the diaspora that, SSUF/A is committed to the ongoing Rome initiative meant to find an amicable solution to war-torn South Sudan… but we will go ahead if the government is not going to withdraw its fist,” he concluded.
Not aware
The Spokesperson of South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), Maj Gen Lul Ruai Koang, said he had never heard of any information from Rumbek Central County of Lakes State.
He said it was already past working hours and could not contact the commanders on the ground to confirm the attack to The City Review.
Gov’t delegation ready
Early this month, the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin, said that the government delegation was ready and that President Salva Kiir had commissioned him to lead the delegation.
Dr. Marial said they were only waiting for the date of resumption of talks to be announced by the community of Sant’Egidio so that talks would resume with the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA).
“The President assured the Secretary-General and his delegation that the government of the Republic of South Sudan is ready to resume those peace talks, and has already appointed me as the head of that government delegation to go for those talks.”
“The Secretary-General was appreciative and praised the President for his great love for peace for this country. The Secretary-General assured the President [that] they would be organizing the days for the meeting between the government and SSOMA. It will be sometime in February here,” he concluded.
This was after a delegation led by the Secretary-General of Sant’Egidio, Dr. Paolo Impagliazzo met with the President and lauded him for his efforts to restore peace in Sudan and across South Sudan.
