Gen. Thomas Cirilo Swaka, leader of the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance and the National Salvation Front, has expressed a willingness to engage in peace talks with the South Sudan government, despite rejecting the Nairobi-based Tumaini Initiative led by Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto.
In a two-day consultative meeting with IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan Ambassador Ismail Wais in Rome on Wednesday and Thursday, Gen. Cirilo agreed to discuss it with the Kiir administration.
“SSOMA expressed its readiness to engage with the Government of the Republic of South Sudan with a goal of achieving inclusive and sustainable peace,” the IGAD statement reads.
Gen. Cirilo has been engaged in peace negotiations with the South Sudanese government in the Rome peace talks since 2020 under the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA).
These talks, facilitated by the Sant’Egidio Community, aimed to find a resolution to the country’s ongoing conflict.
The alliance of opposition groups involved in these discussions included Cirilo’s NAS, the National Democratic Movement-Patriotic Front (NDM-PF) led by Emmanuel Ajawin, the South Sudan United Front/Army under General Paul Malong, and the Real SPLM led by Pagan Amum.
However, after years of stalled progress, President Salva Kiir shifted the talks to Nairobi in December 2023, requesting Kenyan President Dr. William Samoei Ruto to take over as the new mediator. The negotiations were rebranded as the Tumaini Initiative, meaning “hope” in Swahili.
When the talks were relocated, Cirilo, along with Emmanuel Ajawin of NDM-PF, declined to participate, citing insecurity and unresolved issues.
They parted ways with General Paul Malong of SSUFA/M and General Pagan Amum of Real SPLM, who accepted President Kiir’s shift of the talks to Nairobi.
Malong and Pagan were joined by General Stephen Buay Rolnyang, leader of the South Sudan People’s Movement/Army (SSPM/A), and Ge
