Anne Itto, the acting secretary-general of the part of South Sudan's now divided ruling party SPLM that remains under the leadership of General Salva Kiir, announced this morning in Juba that a delegation of the SPLM Former Detainees led by Deng Alor will visit Juba next week.

After hailing Kiir and pledging to continue to support the president “in his pursuit of peace in this country,” Itto announced that an advance team of the exiled 'Former Detainees' group led by Deng Alor was expected to arrive next week in Juba.

“And before they arrive, we'll have a visit from the secretary-general of CCM, the ruling party of Tanzania. He'll be arriving on the 27th after consulting with Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and President Museveni of Uganda because they've been working togeteher to bring peace among SPLM,” she said.

Itto did not say whether the so-called 'Arusha' initiative of Uhuru and Museveni was coordinated with Ethiopia's leader Hailemariam Desalegn, who chairs IGAD, the regional body that previously attempted to mediate the conflict between South Sudan's warring parties.

Radio Tamazuj previously reported that the initial Arusha conference was planned without the involvement of IGAD.

Itto explained that the Tanzanian ruling party's secretary-general will arrive in Juba on this Wednesday “to consult with the President of the Republic about the return arrangements... of the former detainees.”

She added, “On the 31st of this month, Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa, the vice president of the Republic of South Africa... together with the secretary-general of CCM will travel to Juba but after touching base with the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Museveni, the president of Uganda.”

“They will accompany the delegation of the former detainees led by Comrade Deng Alor,” she said, adding that the planned date of their arrival is 1 June.

She referred to CCM and ANC as the “co-guarantors” of the visit of the Former Detainees. They would stay until the 2nd or 3rd of June but the 'advance team' of the SPLM Former Detainees would stay for longer, she said, adding, “They are not going to leave.”

Itto's remarks follow a meeting of the SPLM (Juba faction) Political Bureau on Sunday. The meeting was chaired by Salva Kiir who briefed the Political Bureau on his recent visit to Angola. The members also reviewed the IGAD process and Arusha process. Itto said they also discussed recent developments in Malakal, Melut and Mundri.