President Salva Kiir in his office.

President Salva Kiir says the four SPLM senior officials who were detained for nearly five months and released yesterday are now free citizens of South Sudan. They were charged of treasons following what the government describes as an attempted coup foiled by the army in December last year.

The four released are:

• Former Minister of National Security, Oyai Deng Ajak
• Suspended Secretary-General of the SPLM, Pagan Amum
• Former deputy Minister of Defense, Dr. Majak Degot
• Former head of Mission of the Government of South Sudan to the US, Ambassador Ezekiel Lol Gatkoth

On Thursday, the Ministry of Justic dropped the case and ordered the release of the four leaders.

Addressing the media in Juba on Friday, President Kiir said the SPLM senior leaders are now free.

“You have heard yesterday from the Minister of Justice that the four suspects who remained in detention, they have been released and they are now free like any citizen in South Sudan. all of you know the background to the problem since the crisis erupted in December, from the onset, I urged the citizens of South Sudan to be calm and ensure that there is tranquility in the country. we also said we wanted a peaceful solution to this problem, not a military solution. ”

President Salva Kiir also said his government implemented the call by IGAD heads of states who intervened to help find solutions to the current crisis in the country.