According to BBC, Endley, who served as an adviser to ex-deputy president Riek Machar, was sentenced to death by hanging.

Endley's photo was tweeted by a privately-owned South Sudanese radio station on Friday.

A report by eNCA said that the former South African National Defence Force (SANDF) colonel was arrested in August 2016 and appeared in court on February 13.

Andley's defence team said that the convicted colonel "was only performing his duties as a security contractor to help Machar's forces integrate into the South Sudanese army prior to being arrested".

This reportedly came after the Sudanese court sentenced a rebel spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, to death by hanging for treason on Monday.

The sentencing came as peace talks between the government and rebels, taking place in neighbouring Ethiopia, stalled amid mutual accusations of military assaults.

South Sudan won independence from Sudan in 2011, but a little over two years later, its leaders began a fresh civil war pitting president Kiir against his former deputy Machar.

Tens of thousands have been killed in the violence, and nearly four million people - roughly a third of the population - have been forced to flee their homes.

News24