Disagreement emerges among Kiir’s allies over plans to accommodate Malong

JUBA – A fresh disagreement has emerged among President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s allies over plans to accommodate holdout opposition leader and former army chief, General Paul Malong Awan, as talks between the government and Malong’s SSOMA faction are set to kick off in Nairobi next week, Sudans Post has learned.

Malong is the leader of South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A) and is not a signatory to the revitalized peace agreement signed by Kiir and his first deputy and chairman of the main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, Dr. Riek Machar Teny.

Since January 2020, talks between the government and the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA), a holdout opposition alliance that includes Malong’s group, have been going on in Italy’s capital Rome until disagreement emerged between Malong and General Thomas Cirilo Swaka after attempts to remove Malong from the alliance over accusations that he may be in secret contacts with Kiir’s government.

Since then, the alliance has split into two with President Salva Kiir’s government delegation negotiating separately with Malong’s group along with Pagan Amum, and the SSOMA faction let by General Thomas Cirilo Swaka.

Earlier in December, a Malong aide told Sudans Post that talks between SSUF/A and the government has been moved to Nairobi and would resume in earlier January after the group preferred to conduct the talks in Nairobi for ‘convenience.’

Speaking to Sudans Post this evening, a senior government official said plans were underway to bring in General Malong, but some allies of President Salva Kiir Mayardit including the National Security Service chief, General Akol Koor Kuc, was not in the mode and has threatened to deal with Malong should he be returned to Juba.

“There are plans because there will be talks next week and some have proposed to bring in General Paul Malong Awan,” the senior government official said on condition of anonymity. “However, the NSS director of internal security bureau General Akol Koor is against that move. He don’t want Malong to return to Juba and this is a problem now.”

The official said close allies of President Salva Kiir including Nhial Deng Nhial have expressed their support for the move to bring in Malong because some are fearing for the fate of the peace agreement which may not materialize if talks are not finalized with Malong.

“Cde Nhial [Deng  Nhial] has accepted this initiative because you know we need all the holdout opposition groups to be in the government so that we achieve peace across the country,” the official further added.