Church leaders demand to be part of negotiation with hold-out opposition

By Simon Deng

Church leaders on Monday asked to be included in the upcoming peace talks between the government and opposition parties that failed to sign the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.

Elias Taban, the President of the Evangelical Alliance of South Sudan, during press conference held in Juba, said they want to be part of the peace talks which could be mediated in Nairobi by Kenyan President William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto.

 “We want to get South Sudan church leaders to be part of the dialogue with hold-out groups proposed in Nairobi,” Taban said.

 “Church leaders and African leaders, last week discussed in Addis Ababa about peace in Africa, we have come home firm to also come and promote peace in South Sudan,” he added.

Arkangelo Wani Lemi, the Secretary General for the Evangelical Alliance of South Sudan, said they believe in the power of the bible as an instrument to transform society, adding that they want South Sudanese to live in peace. 

 “Our desire as Evangelical Alliance of South Sudan is to ensure that everything else we do now and then brings our people together to live in peace and harmony,” he said.

The government has been engaged in talks with hold-out opposition groups since November 2019 in Rome, Italy.

The peace talks have been mediated by the Catholic Community of Saint Egidio, but of recent the government contacted the Kenyan leader to help mediate peace with opposition groups.

However, some parties within the opposition have been against the plan to shift peace negotiation from Rome to Nairobi due to safety fears.

The opposition parties under the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA) include, South Sudan United Front (SSUF) led by Paul Malong Awan, former Chief of Staff of the South Sudan People’s Defense Force, National Salvation Front (NAS) led by the former Deputy Chief of Logistics of the SSPDF, Thomas Swaka Cirilo and the Real SPLM under Pagan Amum.