The family of the detained Secretary-General of the SPLM, Pag’an Amum, is concerned about his health and calls for his release so he can take part in negotiations between the government and the opposition.
Amum is among four detainees whom the Justice Minister last week said it would continue to investigate over their role in masterminding a coup last December.
Hon. Banguat Amum Okeich, the sister of Pag’an, said she is not sure of the health of her brother in detention. Speaking in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, she said the government would be responsible if anything happened to his health during his detention.
“It is President Kiir who knows about his health because he is the one who detained him, and he has a purpose for keeping him behind bars. So for his health, I am not aware and actually I am not happy about that, because in the country where there is a conflict, even Kiir will not be sure that Pagan is safe,” she said.
She added: “He promised that Pag’an is safe, but I cannot believe that because being under detention you are denied of all rights and anything can happen to you, you can get sick and you can die because nobody would take you to hospital, and President Kiir will be held responsible for the life of Pag’an.”
Banguat said she believes her brother Pagan is not an enemy to the president: “Somebody like Pag’an, Kiir should feel that this is somebody who can help him, not somebody who is his enemy. Pag’an never thought that he would be an enemy to President Salva Kiir, but he has been telling him openly the way they can lead the country and he helped the President a lot and our people know this very well, but if the President thinks that Pagan is a danger for him, I think he is not dangerous for him, but Pagan can help him with the situation in which our country is now where the country is seen as a failed state.”
The detained politician was formerly also the government’s chief negotiator in peace talks with Sudan. He had aligned himself with the ousted vice-president Riek Machar during meetings of the SPLM Political Bureau and Liberation Council last year.
Reporting by Eye Radio
File photo: Pag’an Amum Okiech, one of the detained politicians accused of plotting a coup against President Salva Kiir Mayardit.