South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has invited former detainees Pagan Amum, Deng Alor, John Luk and Kosti Manibe to come back to Juba to “join hands to bring peace” in the country.

The politicians were formerly cabinet ministers and senior party officials and were detained on orders of the president after the December 2013 crisis and accused of plotting a coup to overthrow the government, a charge denied vehemently by Amum during a failed trial attempt to convict him of treason.

All have since have taken up residence in Kenya after being released from prison in South Sudan, and recently traveled to the Ethiopian capital to take part in a high-level summit.

“Our president welcomes them highly and also invited them to come back to Juba make efforts to bring peace in the country,” said Awan Riak, Minister in the Office of the President.

He was speaking on Friday at Juba Airport after his arrival from Addis Ababa. He said President Salva Kiir met twice with the former detainees and invited them to join hands with him to bring peace to the region.

Awan said that it was a ‘major concern’ that the ruling party was divided: “We do not like SPLM to die – if the SPLM fought the war and brought independence in the country, for the leaders to see it dying and disintegrating into pieces, it is another major concern because without a party how do we govern our country?”

However, Awan denied reports saying that the former SPLM secretary general Pagan Amum would be brought back into the SPLM secretariat. 

But he said, “I believed their role will be essential and that is why our president released them for the sake of unity and peace in the country. ”

He also said that Kiir had a successful meeting with the Ethiopian prime minister and has assured him of his readiness to abide by the peace agreement and commit to the peace process.

Ethiopian leader Hailemariam Desalegn last week threatened to impose sanctions on South Sudan, as did the Kenyan government, should the conflict continue in the country.    

Photo: Hon. Awan Riak speaking to press after arrival from Addis Ababa