The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) headed by Salva Kiir hosted a dinner reception at SPLM House on Tuesday night for members of the previously exiled SPLM 'Former Detainees' (G10) group, which visited Juba from Monday to Wednesday.

The delegation of five of the ten 'Former Detainees' headed by Deng Alor visited Juba accompanied by South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Presidential Press Secretary Ateny Wek told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that the SPLM G-10 group was welcomed to Juba for direct meetings with the president. They discussed ways of implementing the Arusha Framework Agreement for reunification of the party, he said.

SPLM has been divided since the start of South Sudan's civil war, with one faction called SPLM-IO now loyal to the former vice president Riek Machar.

Machar's rebels have recently distanced themselves from the Arusha process, declining to attend a recent Arusha process meeting in South Africa and saying they first want a comprehensive peace agreement negotiated with the government -- not the party -- within the IGAD framework.

On the other hand, the exile group SPLM-G10 have been more engaged with the part of the party still loyal to President Salva Kiir, which has sought to bring them back into the party.

Remarks made on Wednesday by SPLM-G10 member and former justice minister John Luk suggest that the group has given its loyalty to Kiir. Referring to “our president and chairman of SPLM,” John Luk said that all SPLM leaders present at the latest meetings in Juba pledged their support to Kiir.

“All the leadership that were present gave their support to him and have authorized him to take any decision necessary that will achieve peace,” he said in remarks broadcast on Radio Miraya.

But the former justice minister also claimed that the Arusha initiative was "complementary" with the IGAD process, saying, "both processes have one objectives which is achieving peace in South Sudan."

Ateny noted that the SPLM-G10 delegation was expected to leave Juba back to Nairobi on Thursday. He said that the Former Detainees were expected to return again to Juba on 25 June.