Vice-president Rebecca Garang says peace deal not inclusive 

Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior speaking at the funeral prayer of the brother to the late Dr. John Garang De Mabior on Friday in Juba [Photo by presidency]

Speaking during the 38th IGAD extraordinary meeting for heads of state and government in Djibouti, Garang said guns can’t be silenced in African’s youngest nation without the hold-out groups.

“The process of silencing the guns and persevering in search for everlasting peace in South Sudan cannot be comprehensive without participation of those who have not yet signed the agreement,” Nyandeng told heads of state and government in Djibouti.

The top government official commended the role played by His Holiness, Pope Francis for his role in mediating peace between the government and the hold-out groups in Rome.

“The government of South Sudan appreciates His Holiness Pope Francis, His Grace Dr. Justin Welby and the community of Sant’egidio in Rome for their diligent effort to mediate peace with our holdout brothers and sisters,” she said.

The Alliance had signed a declaration of cooperation with the government on January 12, known as the Rome Declaration, in which they pledged to start fresh negotiations to achieve sustainable peace through addressing the root causes of the conflict in the country.

The SSOMA group includes the National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Gen Thomas Cirillo, South Sudan United Front (SSUF), led by Paul Malong Awan, the Real Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (R-SPLM), the United Democratic Revolutionary Movement, National Democratic Movement-Patriotic Front (NDM-PF), and South Sudan National Movement for Change (SSNMC).

All groups that had refused to sign the peace agreement, are referred to as Hold-Out Groups, owing to their boycott of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.