JUBA, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has granted amnesty to rebel groups seeking to topple his government, the country's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said on Wednesday.
"President Kiir pardoned all the members of the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) who recently agreed to recommit to a December 2017 cessation of hostilities pact," said the ministry.
The government of South Sudan and SSOMA begun talks in Italy early this month, where they signed the Rome Declaration on Jan. 13 and agreed to continue with peace talks.
The SSOMA is a coalition of nine opposition groups made up of ex-government and military officials who refused to be part of the September 2018 peace deal.
The second round of talks between the government and the opposition is expected to commence next month.
South Sudan descended into conflict in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir sacked his then-deputy Riek Machar, leading to fighting between soldiers loyal to both leaders.
A peace deal signed in August 2015 led to the formation of a transitional government, but the pact collapsed following the outbreak of violence in the capital Juba in July 2016. The two rivals are expected to form another unity government next month as part of the revitalized peace deal signed in September 2018.
