Thomas Cirillo Swaka, the former deputy chief of general staff for logistics, who formed a rebel group in March this year has turned down President Kiir’s amnesty offer in order to join the national dialogue.
Swaka, who now heads the National Salvation Front (NAS), resigned from the military, accusing its leadership of ethnic bias.
In a statement dated 6 September and seen by Radio Tamazuj, the rebel group said it believes that it is President Salva Kiir who should seek amnesty from the suffering people of South Sudan for all crimes.
“The unbearable human misery of South Sudanese is a creation of Salva Kiir and his government. This can never be settled just by granting amnesty to Gen. Cirilo,” partly reads the statement.
The group pointed out that a genuine national dialogue could only be possible after war is ended through a genuine ad inclusive national dialogue.
Last month, South Sudan government said it released at least 30 political prisoners following an amnesty offer by President Kiir in May to create an enabling environment for the national dialogue.