SW News: After leaving the negotiations mediated by the Sant'Egidio Community months ago, the South Sudanese government has announced the beginning of peace talks in Rome with the coalition of the Non-Signatory.

Ahead of the arrival of the Holy Father in the nation, South Sudan’s Presidential Affairs Minister Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin said on Saturday that the administration was prepared to restart political activities. As they moved through the districts that the entourage of the pope would visit or pass through, Dr. Marial told the group that the president had removed the embargo on conducting peace discussions with the Thomas Cirilo, Pagan Amum, and Paul Malong holdout factions in Rome.

Minister Marial did not mention when the conversations would really restart. After talks on the root causes of political violence in the nation took place, the government and opposition groups signed the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in January 2020. After this, the Rome peace project was formally launched. The initiatives were unsuccessful when, in November 2022, the administration withdrew from the talks.

The Minister of Presidential Affairs said in a prior letter to the Sant'Egidio Secretary General in Rome, Italy, that the gang was utilizing the conversations to gain time while they were getting ready for battle. The Sant'Egidio community has insisted that its efforts at mediation are complementary to those of IGAD in bringing about peace in South Sudan and that it would keep working with the parties to help them reach an agreement and reopen negotiations.

In remarks to the press after the meeting, Sant'Egidio leaders are said to have reiterated their dedication "to give peace and security to Africa's youngest nation."

In an attempt to find a peaceful settlement for the South Sudanese people, Dr. Paolo Impagliazzo, secretary general of the Sant'Egidio Community, said that they would continue mediating between the government and holdout parties.

Dr. Impagliazzo said, "We are determined to bring the two sides together for a common understanding in order to restore peace and stability in South Sudan."