Gov’t, rebels at Rome talks in another deadlock over referendum, cause of conflict

ROME, ITALY – Talks between South Sudan government delegation and its opposition counterparts in Rome, Italy have hit another deadlock over constitutional referendum and cause of the conflict, according to an opposition spokesman.

Deng Vanang, the official spokesman of South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) told Sudans Post in an exclusive interview over the weekend that there were disagreements between the two delegations over what caused the conflict and how a constitutional referendum can be carried out.

“The SSOMA objected to government’s proposal that constitutional referendum be conducted in the legislative assembly which it dominates and not through popular votes which is the demand of SSOMA,” he said from Rome on Friday.

The senior opposition official also revealed that the government is saying that the cause of the conflict is political, where as the SSOMA argues that it is tribal, but had started as political and turned into tribal to exploit the people of South Sudan.

“The government argues South Sudan’s cause of conflict is of political nature which SSOMA diametrically opposes, saying it started as a political disagreement between leaders, but evolved immediately into socio-ethnic conflict through targeting of members of some ethnic groups deemed to be supportive of rebel SPLM leaders and other rebel factions,” he said.