1st LD Writethru: S. Sudan's rebel chief of staff returns to Juba ahead of Machar

South Sudan's top rebel chief of staff Simon Gatwech Dual returned to Juba on Monday ahead of the much-anticipated arrival of First Vice President Designate Riek Machar.

Dual, the South Sudan People's Liberation Movement In-Opposition (SPLM-IO), arrived in Juba with additional 195 troops, paving way for Machar's grand arrival and formation of the transitional government.

Machar, who thrice called off his arrival to Juba, had planned to come after Dual had arrived ahead of him.

"We are here to implement the peace agreement," said Dual, who was welcomed by top government military commanders, and heavily-armed troops from both the government and rebels.

Dual arrived with troops aboard a UN plane to Juba.

The Secretary General of the SPLM-IO, Dhieu Mathok, said Dual's return showed their commitment to implement the signed August 2015 peace deal that ends more than two years of civil war.

"Now we are coming to implement the peace agreement that we have signed. We thank all South Sudanese and the UN for taking over transportation of the SPLA-IO Chief of Staff," Mathok said.

However, Mathok did not confirm Machar's expected arrival to Juba on Tuesday.

Machar's advance team and 1,370 protection troops have arrived in Juba.

Civil war erupted in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of retaliatory killings that have split the country along ethnic lines.

The conflict has reopened deep ethnic tensions in the world's youngest country, which only won independence from Sudan in 2011.

Peace talks between Kiir and Machar stalled several times, but the two leaders eventually signed peace agreement in August last year, paving way for the formation of government of national unity. Enditem