Fifteen members of an advance team of South Sudan's SPLM-In Opposition landed in Juba Monday afternoon in order to begin work on implementing the country's peace agreement.

The group which arrived today was led by Ramadan Hassan Lako and was met by the government's reception committee for the advance team.

150 total members of the advance team were expected to come today under the leadership of SPLM-IO chief negotiator Taban Deng Gai, but Taban's flight from Khartoum was delayed, said Ramadan.

Ramadan said the delay was not caused by the govenrment or the SPLM-IO but was the fault of the airline company.

Paul Kordit, the spokesperson of the reception committee, said their brothers in the SPLM-IO are welcome home to the capital city and that the government was happy to receive them. He said the government remains fully committed to the implementation of the peace agreement.

Radio Tamazuj photo: Ramadan Hassan Lako hugs a member of the government's reception committee upon arrival to Juba today.