Gen. Thomas Cirillo. File photo.

The opposition National Salvation Front (NAS) has released 23 civilians from detention in the former Central Equatoria and handed them to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

NAS of former army general Thomas Ciril said in a statement on Wednesday that the 23 persons came under their protection between September and December of last year after clashes with government forces in the Equatoria region.

The group including 11 children were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross on December 31.

“We facilitated on the 31^st December the release of 23 persons including 11 children,” Florian Seriex, the ICRC Public Relations Officer in South Sudan confirmed.

“We received the request from NAS to facilitate this release and so we complied once we had like a green light from all the authorities. They are in a general good health condition.”

Among the persons handed over to the ICRC include a 4-year old child of an IOM-volunteer who was killed during a fighting in October in Morobo of Yei River state.

NAS opposition group is one of the peace agreement hold-out groups yet to join the peace process.

According to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, the ICRC is tasked with act as a neutral body that will facilitate the release and return of political detainees and prisoners of war.

The ICRC has now facilitated the release of persons held in captivity for the fourth time since the signing of the peace agreement in September 2018.