NAIROBI: The South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) and other opposition groups see the peace talks with the government in Kenya as an important step toward a national constitutional conference, which could end the long-running crisis in the country.
The groups are part of a peace initiative being led by Kenya that aims to solve South Sudan’s long-standing problems, such as its failing economy, widespread crime, and broken government. Along with the South Sudan Unified National Alliance (SSUNA), it brought nine opposition groups to the table with the government.
The opposition groups said today in a statement that South Sudan is a country in crisis, with an unstable government, a falling economy, and widespread violence. They think that everyone agrees that the country needs to be “saved” from this terrible situation.
“South Sudan is in a major national crisis, and its society is in shambles.” “Its economy is in shambles because of state capture and rampant corruption,” SSOMA said in a statement that Sudans Post saw.
“The government can’t pay the salaries of its workers, the army, and the police.” Notably, South Sudanese diplomats in foreign capitals have nowhere to live. Due to widespread violence and lack of safety, hundreds of thousands of people have had to seek refuge in UN-run Protection of Civilians (POC) camps in South Sudan, including in Juba, the country’s capital. There is a lot of fighting between communities. South Sudan is very close to a terrible disaster. “All Parties agree that it needs to be saved,” they said.
SSOMA welcomed the Tumaini Initiative as “a last golden opportunity to rescue South Sudan from collapse and disintegration.” They praised President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s decision to involve President Ruto and highlighted the initiative’s potential to convene a national constitutional conference in Kenya.
“We expect that the initiative will lead to a national constitutional conference in Kenya and South Sudan in two stages,” SSOMA stated. “The expected outcome of the conference will be (1) the adoption of a new social contract; (2) a constitutional text; (3) interim governance arrangements with a rescue program; and (4) implementation modalities.”
The opposition groups called on the international and regional communities to support the initiative.
“We strongly appeal to the region, the continent, and the international community to support the people of South Sudan in their search for peace and transition to stability and democracy,” they concluded.