Former NAS commander forms own movement. (Photo/social media).

A senior rebel commander who once defected from SPLM-IO to the National Salvation Front, has again ditched the camp of General Thomas Cirillo and formed his own movement.

Gen. John Kenyi Lotio has abandoned the mother NAS with his loyalists and declared himself the Chairman and Commander-in-chief of an independent group dubbed the National Salvation United Forces (NASUF).

Gen. Lotio accused Gen. Cirillo of poor leadership and divisive policies that have caused frustrations, defections, hatred, mistrust and factional divisions among officers since 2018.

In a press statement, the former member of NAS’ top brass and deputy chief of staff for training, said he defected to unite the deserting troops and “restore hope for our suffering people.”

When contacted for comment, the spokesperson of National Salvation Front under General Thomas Cirillo, said he was in a meeting and unable to give a statement.

Following the split, former NAS Operation Commander in Yei, who identifies as Brig. Gen. Joseph Taban pledged allegiance to Lotio’s NASUF.

Lotio was the overall commander of the Central Equatoria command of then armed opposition movement SPLM-IO under Dr. Riek Machar, before defecting in July 2017 and declaring allegiance to the NAS.

In June 2023, a senior military commander of NAS also abandoned the opposition group and defected to the unity government under President Salva Kiir.

Brig. Gen. Kennedy Kenyi Abdu declared his allegiance to the transitional government in a closed-door meeting with former Central Equatoria governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony in Yei.

According to a recent statement of the UN Mission in South Sudan, persistent violence by armed groups has been raised as the top concern for communities and local authorities in Yei and Lainya in the Central Equatoria.

The concern was raised during a peace and security mission by representatives of UNMISS to the areas, where local officials reported increasing abductions of ex-combatants and veterans in the area by armed groups seeking to swell their ranks.