South Sudan's former political detainees downplayed their 'pardon' announced at a recent meeting of the SPLM in Juba, saying they were not aware of any crimes they committed in the first place.

The former detainees are a group of high level SPLM leaders who were arrested and released at the start of the South Sudan Civil War in December 2013 before going into exile in neighboring countries.

The group was 'pardoned' at a meeting of SPLM government loyalists in Juba this week chaired by President Salva Kiir.

“I am not aware of any criminal charges against one of us before, so you ask them the basis of the pardon,” said John Luk Jok, spokesperson of the group, in an exclusive interview with Radio Tamazuj.

The government in Juba has been trying to convince the former detainees to return to the war-torn country.

Jok said that as the leader of the SPLM party Kiir should revoke previous orders that terminated membership of various party leaders as per the Arusha agreement signed earlier this year that was meant to reunite the SPLM's warring factions.

Photo: John Luk Jok