South Sudan's President Salva Kiir met five members of the SPLM-G10 Former Detainees group in Juba today during their first visit to the country since going into exile more than a year ago.

Speaking on Tuesday after the meeting at State House, Akol Paul, spokesperson for the government's delegation to the negotiations with SPLM-G10, said the meeting was "very cordial and faithful."

The meeting builds on the Arusha Agreement signed in Tanzania meant to unify Kiir's side, the former detainees, and the SPLM-IO led by former vice president Riek Machar.

“We discussed the status of the Arusha Agreement and we have agreed to move forward, recommitted ourselves for the implementation of the Arusha agreement and recommitted ourselves collectively for peaceful resolution of the conflict in South Sudan," Akol said.

Also in attendance were South Africa's Vice President Cyril Ramaphosa, Secretary General of Tanzania's ruling party Abdurahman Kinana, and Kenya's Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed.

Akol said this evening there will be an extended meeting of the SPLM leadership. He invited the SPLM-In Opposition to join the implementation of the Arusha Agreement.

Presidential spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny said the rest of the SPLM-G10 will arrive in Juba on 25 June along with five African heads of state to meet with President Kiir.

The SPLM-G10 are a group of high level South Sudanese politicians who were arrested by the government after the outbreak of war in December 2013 and accused of trying to overthrow Kiir. They were later released due to lack of evidence and fled to Kenya. The former detainees, who do not command any troops in South Sudan, have been involved in peace negotiations with the two armed SPLM factions led by Kiir and former vice president Riek Machar.

The five members of the SPLM-G10 landed in Juba yesterday under protection of South African security forces.