A national civil society group in Bor town of South Sudan’s Jonglei State is calling for the release of inmates convicted with minor offenses in line with a presidential pardon across the country.
In a statement to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, the Jonglei Institute for Peace, Democracy, and Development (JIPDD) said President Salva Kiir issued a directive pardoning hundreds of prisoners serving in different facilities in the country, but the directive is yet to be implemented in Jonglei State.
JIPDD's Executive Director Juuk Othana Mading said the order has been implemented in other states while calling on the relevant authorities in the state to follow suit.
“We want the government of Jonglei to respond to President Kiir’s pardon of the prisoners across the country. Some states have responded but Jonglei has not," he said.
Othana further said the release of inmates with minor charges will create more room at the already overcrowded Bor Prison.
"There is congestion at Bor Central Prison and this may lead to the spread of diseases. So the government must release those with minor cases to create space for the others," he stated.
For his part, Alfred Manyang Agok, the state director of Prison Service in Jonglei state said they are aware of the pardon and are working to release about 17 convicts soon.