James Benjamin, Mayor of Raja town in South Sudan’s Lol State on Thursday confirmed his defection to the SPLA-IO together with another six government officials and dozens of soldiers.

Benjamin confirmed to Radio Tamazuj that he joined the armed opposition faction led by Riek Machar. “Yes it is true I have joined the opposition together with my group that was with me in Raja town.”

He further said he defected together with the director of police in Raja Karlo Augustino, Judge Sebestiano Kornelio and the medical director of Raja hospital Benson Taban along with a number of military officers.

Benjamin pointed out that they rejected President Kiir’s order creating more states in South Sudan and some malpractices by the state government.

The breakaway government official revealed that they didn’t want the state government’s policy to replace local citizens serving in the government with others from other areas.

The SPLM-IO in Western Bahr el Ghazal announced recently that a number of government officials from the Lol State government have defected to their side.