South Sudan adviser, opposition leader pursue dialogue

March 28, 2024 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s presidential adviser and the Sudanese opposition leader have met and held talks in support for ending the war in Sudan, pledging joint efforts for a peaceful dialogue.

The two leaders held talks in the South Sudanese capital, Juba on March 27, 2024.

Peter Mabior Riiny Lual, a national member of parliament at the reconstituted transitional national legislative assembly of South Sudan and a secretary general of the South Sudan Patriotic Movement, one of the parties forming the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA)  participating in the transitional government of national unity, told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that the two leaders met to discuss the issue of mutual interest for their countries.

“Dr. Costello Garang, Chairman of South Sudan Patriotic Movement met with Dr. Ali El-Haj Adam, Chairman of People’s Congress Party to discuss current issues facing their countries on 27 March 2024”, said Lual.

South Sudan’s deputy minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Ramadan Mohamed Goch reiterated in a separate statement the commitment of the South Sudan government to continue supporting the peace process in Sudan, citing the appointment of the special envoy by the intergovernmental authority on development.

“Efforts to secure a lasting peace in Sudan are continuing. You know that peace is a process. War breaks out at once, destroying everything and killing people but stopping it is not like starting it. It takes time and effort.  His Excellency the President is continuing with the efforts, working through the secretariat of IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) a regional grouping of eight member countries including Sudan”, he remarked.

Analysts have observed the tendency of the two main belligerent parties to the conflict in Sudan to advance and impose their interests through fighting to gain and regain territories. Hostilities, backed by aerial strikes by the Sudanese army have led to gains and expansion in the areas of command and control in the past months in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and in the states.

After initial successes in taking control and pushing back the Sudanese army, the Sudan paramilitary  Rapid Support Force has been experiencing a surge in setbacks on the battlefields, with its generals complaining of growing shortages of both arms and fighters getting captured by the Sudanese military, most of whom are foreign mercenaries from foreign nationals who could not flee when the conflict erupted in the middle of April 2023 between the military and the paramilitary group.

The Sudanese army which has gained full control of the national television and radio has presented captives it identified as nationals from South Sudan.

Officials in South Sudan have denied this, with Information minister Michael Makuei Lueth, describing those involved in the fight for the rival sides in the Sudanese conflict as “fortunate seekers”.

(ST)