South Sudan President Salva Kiir has called for reconciliation between the country’s spy chief, Akol Koor Kuc and the former army chief of staff, Paul Malong Awan, a presidential aide disclosed.

Koor is currently the Director-General of South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS).

“Talks between the government and holdout groups are due to resume in the coming period. But the challenge which we are seeing is that Paul Malong and General Akol Koor Kuc, the director-general for the internal bureau of our national security services need to reconcile. His Excellency the president has indicated this to general Akol on numerous occasions and this prompted him to reach out to General Paul Malong himself to initiate reconciliation before talks resumed,” the presidential aide said.

Koor fell out with the former army chief of staff, resulting in the removal of the former amid allegations that he was plotting to remove Kiir from power.

Several efforts to pursue Malong to return to the country from exile have been fruitless after he proposed a negotiated arrangement for his return.

Allies of the South Sudanese leader now want Koor and the country’s former army chief of general staff to reconcile in order to guarantee the support of their constituencies during the next elections or when political differences arise with the main competitors, requiring strong and unified support in Dinka constituencies.

“Elders have been talking to President Salva that there are no permanent enemies in politics.  His family is also talking to him. You know relations between president Salva and Paul Malong did not start when he became the president. Their relations started way back during liberation days. The family and friends feel that differences in opinions should not break long-time relations,” the aide further explained.

He added, “Dialogue should be given priority and this is what elders are doing and the president has indicated his readiness to reconcile with Paul Malong. So, he wants this dialogue to start first between Gen Akol and Paul Malong”.

According to the presidential source, peace talks mediated by the Rome-based Sant’Egidio community between the government and the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA) will resume when internal consultations are concluded.

Malong leads the South Sudan United Front (SSUF), which is part of SSOMA.