The former rebel group led by General Aywok Ogad has issued a public apology to the people of South Sudan.

In a letter the General expresses regret for any crime the group may have committed while fighting the SPLA during their rebellion in Upper Nile region.

General Aywok’s group abandoned their uprising last month, accepting  the amnesty of President Salva Kiir.

Speaking to Eye Radio the group’s spokesperson, Fawzi Gabriel said that the public may have been hurt by some of their actions while fighting the army.

“The problem is that most of the army barracks are located at the residential areas –where civilians are, and this is one of the reasons for deaths. If anyone was killed by mistake during our fighting, we want to apologize,” he said. “ We are apologizing is because the shooting towards civilians were unintentional because it happened between the two parties. Whatever happened during our clashes with the army which took place within the civilian populated areas, wasn’t intentional.”

Mr. Fawzi says they are still in talks with the government over the reintegration of the former rebel group soldiers into the SPLA.

General Aywok Ogad’s group is the first former rebel group to apologize to the public for any atrocities that they may have committed during their rebellion.