Over 100 opposition officials under the command of General Johnson Olony have defected to the government-controlled area in Fashoda State, a spokesman for the state government said.

Fashoda’s Minister of Information, Kur AKuoch Deng, told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that more than 100 military and political officials allied to the opposition faction led by former First Vice President Riek Machar have announced their defection and joined the government.

Deng claimed that the defection of those rebel officials was in response to the general amnesty offered by President Kiir during the opening of the national dialogue in May.

For its part, the opposition denied Deng’s claims that their members joined the government of Fashoda State.

Musa Akiech Kur, a rebel spokesman in Fashoda, said the allegations that a group of Agwelek officials joined the government is untrue, saying  rumours that a group of opposition officials allied to Olony had defected to government were "cheap propaganda."

Radio Tamazuj could not independently verify the claims.