NAIROBI – Five South Sudanese opposition groups have formed a new coalition, the National Opposition Alliance (NOA), in response to being excluded from the Kenya-led Tumaini Peace Initiative. The coalition aims to present a unified front and address the root causes of the country’s ongoing conflict, according to a statement released Monday, Dec. 11.
The groups criticized the South Sudanese government for failing to implement previous peace accords, including the 2015 peace agreement, the 2018 revitalized version, and resolutions from the 2018 national dialogue. They also expressed dissatisfaction with the 2022 Khartoum peace agreement, which attempted to reconcile Kitgwang factions led by Generals Simon Gatwech Dual and Johnson Olony with President Salva Kiir’s government.
The coalition comprises five factions: the Patriots’ Resistance Movement-Army (PRM/A), led by General Laraka Machar Turoal; the South Sudan National Liberation Movement/Army (SSNLM/A), headed by Hoth Guor Lual; the South Sudan United National Front/Army (SSUNF/A), led by Philip Stephen Dak Onwar; the South Sudan Rescue Front (SSRF), headed by Kamin Vigilio Vurve; and the Union Party of South Sudan/Army (UPSS/A), led by Dhoal Tutlual Larjin.
The alliance’s leadership includes General Laraka as president, Kamin Vigilio Vurve as deputy leader, and General Philip Stephen Dak Onwar as secretary-general. Other key members include Hoth Guor Lual as an advisor for peace and reconciliation, and Dhoal Tutlual Larjin as secretary for defense and security.
With the slogan “Better Together,” the NOA plans to create a unified leadership structure to promote national reconciliation, economic stability, and peacebuilding. The coalition emphasized its commitment to federalism, democracy, human rights, and justice.
The group also pledged to address tribalism and corruption, protect natural resources, and collaborate with regional organizations, including the East African Community, the African Union, and the United Nations. It called for the voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons and the opening of humanitarian corridors to provide essential services.
The NOA accused the government of prolonging South Sudan’s transitional period, undermining constitutional legitimacy, and failing to resolve the “lingering root causes of the conflict,” which they claim exacerbates the suffering of South Sudanese citizens.
