The South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) in a press release yesterday accused President Salva Kiir of playing a blame game by faulting the alliance for perpetrating ambushes along the Juba-Nimule road and instead indicted the SSPDF for the attacks.
President Kiir has twice in the past two weeks accused SSOMA, particularly the National Salvation Front (NAS), of orchestrating ambushes on the road, and other senior government and security officials have also repeatedly echoed the charges against NAS.
“The South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) notes with concern President Kiir’s statement that he has ‘paused’ the Juba regime’s participation in the Rome Peace Initiative under the mediation of the Community of Sant’Egidio,” the SSOMA statement read. “Kiir’s statement was delivered on 30 August during the opening session of the Revitalized- Transitional National Legislative Assembly (RTNLA). President Kiir went on to repeat his lies of accusing SSOMA and specifically the National Salvation Front (NAS) of being responsible for insecurity along the Juba-Nimule highway.”
SSOMA condemned President Kiir’s statements as reckless and irresponsible utterances of guilt and a lame attempt at shifting blame and responsibility.
“SSOMA would like to remind our fellow South Sudanese and the International Community, reiterating our position and strong conviction, that Kiir’s regime and its South Sudan People’s Defense Force and the National Security Service (SSPDF/NSS) are the prime and responsible culprits for insecurity on Juba-Nimule road and in the killings of the two Catholic nuns and the other innocent citizens,” the statement said.
It added: “SSOMA and the people of South Sudan hold President Kiir responsible for the insecurity and killings of innocent civilians not only on the Juba-Nimule highway but all over the country.”
The opposition alliance said they do not have a presence at the said incident area along the Juba-Nimule highway.
“The barbaric incident happened while Juba-Nimule highway was in complete security protection as the Juba regime’s elites including President Kiir and VP James Wani Igga, among others, were traveling from Loa to Juba that very day after attending Loa Parish Centenary celebration. Therefore, it is none other than elements of SSPDF and NSS who committed this heinous crime,” SSOMA said.
According to SSOMA, President Kiir’s withdrawal from the Rome talks is indicative of a lack of political will to attain sustainable peace in the country.
“SSOMA is however not surprised by Kiir suspending the participation of his regime’s engagement in the Rome Peace Initiative. Kiir’s statement of ’pausing’ his regime’s engagement with SSOMA through the Community of Sant’Egidio is an indication of the regime’s usual lack of political will to end the suffering of the people of South Sudan and bring about sustainable peace and prosperity,” it concluded. “SSOMA reiterates its unwavering commitment to dialogue and peaceful resolution of the conflict in the Republic of South Sudan through addressing the root causes of the conflict in South Sudan in credible negotiations."