10 officers of the SPLA-IO faction allied to former South Sudan First Vice President Riek Machar defected to the Juba government and joined Taban Deng’s faction on Thursday.
The 10 defectors, mainly from the Acholli tribe, declared their decision in a statement issued by Taban Deng’s faction in Juba on Thursday after their arrival in Juba from Kampala.
The military officials, led by Brigadier General Okot David Awai, include one colonel, two lieutenant colonels, four officers with the rank of captain, one first lieutenant and one second lieutenant.
Col. Dickson Gatluak Jock, SPLA-IO Military Spokesperson in Juba, said in a statement that they received 10 officers who defected from Machar’s faction.
According to Gatluak, the group of officers returned to Juba in response to country’s call for peace. "Their return home demonstrates the level of commitment FVP Taban Deng attaches to the implementation of the compromised peace agreement,” partly reads the statement seen by Radio Tamazuj.
The military spokesman said their faction has duty and responsibility to bring back all military officers and cadres who left the country due to the civil war that erupted over the last three years.
“We urge all comrades who took up arms against the government to return and join the peace process to iron out our own differences amicably,” said Gatluak.
General Okot who led the defectors is one of the well-known Generals within Machar’s faction. He was a commander in charge of Magwi Brigade 9th in Anyanya Division in Eastern Equatoria.
Machar recently demoted and dismissed Okot over links with Taban Deng’s faction in Juba.