Ramadan Hassan Laku, former Chairperson of the federal affairs, and Adel Sandra, former SPLM-IO faction under Machar he represented in Kenya, have announced changing sides and returned to Juba on Friday where they hope to join unity government.
It remains unclear what prompted Ramadan, one of the officials from Equatoria region, who pushed Machar in Khartoum in September 2016, to announce armed resistance to switch side.
The two officials were received at Juba international airport on arrival on Friday by officials in the government of President Salva Kiir. Presidential press Secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny was at the airport at the time of their arrival. He commended their decision to change side.