More than 300 fighters affiliated with the National Salvation Front (NAS) have abandoned the armed opposition movement and declared their intention to join the government-led peace process in South Sudan.
The group was received in Juba as part of an ongoing government initiative encouraging armed groups to lay down their weapons and return to civilian and political life through peaceful means.
According to National Security Service spokesperson David John Kumuri, 300 defectors are involved in the latest move, with 110 already arriving in Juba.
Among those received are 10 senior commanders previously associated with NAS.
Kumuri said the defectors decided to leave the opposition movement after questioning its continued armed campaign and its ability to achieve meaningful political objectives through military means.
He said their decision is consistent with President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s call for armed groups to accept an amnesty and participate in national reconciliation efforts.
The development represents a significant defection from NAS, one of the armed opposition groups that has remained outside South Sudan’s peace arrangements.
Government officials have welcomed the fighters’ return, presenting the move as part of efforts to reduce armed violence and encourage reconciliation.
The defectors have also urged other members of armed groups to consider abandoning violence and returning to their communities.
The latest development comes as South Sudan moves toward planned general elections in December 2026, with the government continuing to call on political and armed opposition groups to resolve their differences through dialogue rather than force.