[1] In mid-2017, political struggles within the government resulted in Kiir deposing SPLA chief of staff Paul Malong Awan and putting him under house arrest.

Malong accused Kiir of turning the nation into a failed state after looting the country's resources,[5] and claimed that the SS-UF would fight for a new government system which supported federalism.

[4] Several SPLA commanders and soldiers who had formerly been loyal to Malong, including those who had become part of the SPLM-IO in the meantime, joined his new force.

[6] The SPLM-IO and the government eventually agreed to a peace deal, but other rebel groups like the SS-UF were not included.

In August 2019, the SS-UF and two other factions, namely Thomas Cirillo's South Sudan National Democratic Alliance (SSNDA) and Pagan Amum's Real Sudan People's Liberation Movement (R-SPLM) resolved to unite their activities under the "United South Sudanese Opposition Movements" (SSOMA) umbrella organization.