At least seven members of the SPLA-IO, including their commander, Col. Chuol Gatluak, were detained last week in Mirimir Payam of Koch County, Unity State.
Gatluak and his bodyguards were reportedly detained on orders of the Koch county commissioner for taking leave without authorization letters from their superior and the Division 4B commander, Maj. Gen. Gatuak Khor.
Koch County Police Director General Brig. Gen. John Jock Chan told Radio Tamazuj on Sunday morning that the seven were detained because they moved without official leave documents from the division commander.
Chan said the Koch County commissioner was in communication with Maj. Gen. Khor regarding why the soldiers moved without notifying local authorities.
“The seven SPLA-IO forces were coming from Dok Port in Leer to Koch because they are sons of Koch County, but the problem is they came without informing the authorities. That is why the authorities decided to arrest them for investigation,” Chan said.
Chan explained that the seven were initially detained in Koch County after their arrest in Mirimir but were later moved to the Koch County headquarters on Saturday.
He added that their release would be determined by the SSPDF Division 4 headquarters in Rubkona County.
Unity State SPLA-IO Sector Two spokesperson Yai Pazale confirmed the detentions.
“Yes, our soldiers were detained by the commissioner himself, and the reason for their going there was because there was an elder who had died in Koch County,” he said.
Division 4B was reportedly in communication with the Koch County commissioner to secure the release of the seven soldiers.