However, it left unresolved the issue of what would happen to the smaller armed groups, and in particular the South Sudan Defence Forces (SSDF).
[3] Shortly after the Juba declaration was signed, Brigadier Gordon Kong proclaimed himself the new SSDF Commander-in-Chief, saying that his forces still supported the Sudan Government.
A newspaper report speculated that while Matiep was looking at political opportunities in the Government of South Sudan, Kong was looking at potential gains from control of the oil-rich Bentiu area.
General Peter Gadet, who joined the SPLA after Juba Declaration, said that he was marginalized and that the army was dominated by tribal nepotism.
In April 2011 Gadet emerged as leader of the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA), a new militia demanding a more broadly-based government.