By Emmanuel Mandella

In a significant move to rejuvenate South Sudan’s peace process, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Special Envoy for South Sudan, Ambassador Ismail Wais, engaged in consultative meetings with the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA), led by its Chairperson General Thomas Cirillo.

The discussions, held on March 19 and 20 in Rome, were facilitated by the Community of Sant’Egidio, with Kenya’s Ambassador to Italy, H.E. Fredrick Matwang’a, also in attendance.

SSOMA expressed readiness to engage with the Government of South Sudan, aiming for inclusive and sustainable peace. They agreed that IGAD and the Community of Sant’Egidio would facilitate a pre-consultative meeting with the government at the earliest opportunity.

This development comes amid various developments in South Sudan. A clamour for peace and end to tension through the recently temporarily suspended Tumaini Peace Initiative, escalating tensions in Upper Nile, among other parts of the country.

Further, a recent attack on a UN helicopter in Nasir resulting in the death of a South Sudanese military commander Lt. General David Majur and approximately 27 troops, raising concerns about the fragility of the current peace. The United Nations condemned the attack as a potential war crime, highlighting the urgency for renewed peace efforts.

The international community continues to advocate for progress in South Sudan’s peace process. In December 2024, a joint communiqué by the African Union Mission in South Sudan (AUMISS), IGAD, and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) emphasized 2025 as a pivotal year for tangible progress, urging the completion of transitional security arrangements and preparation for credible elections in December 2026.

The recent consultative meetings in Rome signify a crucial step towards inclusive dialogue and reconciliation. The international community remains hopeful that these efforts will lead to lasting peace and stability in South Sudan.

Meanwhile, political analyst and renowned journalist Atem Simon says the complexity of the security situation in the country has a direct relationship with security arrangements, blaming lack of funding and logistical challenges partly for the delay in meeting the process.

To mitigate the situation, Atem proposed an urgent intervention by the regional partners such as the African Union and IGAD to organize direct meetings in Juba between the government and the opposition, instead of the “ineffective” virtual meetings, to arrive at an agreement between conflicting parties.