Dr. Barnaba Marial, presidential affairs minister | File photo

The government delegation to Rome peace talks says it is returning to the negotiation table with the spirit of compromise and cooperation with the hold-out groups.

Next week, the government and the South Sudan Opposition Alliance, which is a non-signatory to the revitalized peace agreement, will meet in Rome, Italy.

SSOMA is a coalition of opposition groups led by Thomas Cirillo, Paul Malong, Pagan Amum, among others.

The alliance argues that the current conflict in the country requires a comprehensive political engagement to achieve inclusive and sustainable peace.

Through the Rome accord, the parties seek to foster political dialogue to facilitate further reconciliation and stability by addressing what they called “the root causes of the conflict in South Sudan”.

In an interview with Eye Radio, the government Chief Negotiator, Dr. Barnaba Marial, says they return to the talks with an open mind.

“The government and the leadership as a whole have committed that we must have peace with non-signatories,” he told Eye Radio on Thursday.

“The government delegation has been actually resolving these issues on compromises, on cooperation, on give-and-take and win-win for all. That spirit is with us.”

The talks between South Sudan government and the Opposition Movements Alliance takes place in Rome, under the mediation of the church-the community of Sant’ Egidio.

In January, the groups collectively known as the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance or SSOMA, signed a declaration with the government to observe the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and further negotiations as part of seeking a political solution to the South Sudan conflict.

But observers say the agreement has been violated on several occasions by the parties, especially in Central Equatoria where thousands have been displaced.