At least two Madi tribe chiefs have been thrown behind bars in Eastern Equatoria state, allegedly after they failed to agree to a host of demands made by displaced Dinka tribesmen living in the Madi area.
The chiefs of the Madi tribe were picked up from their houses and arrested on Friday, according to multiple sources. The soldiers who arrested them were allegedly members of the ethnic Dinka group whose relatives live in Madi area.
John Amba Modi, the head chief of Kerepi Payam and his counterpart, Boma Chief Oyuru Mundala of Moli-Andru Boma, were among those taken into custody by government soldiers.
“It was unbelievable when they were collected. People panicked and were scared on seeing three army land cruiser full of soldiers carrying AK-47, automatic weapons (PKM) and RPG and raided the boma of Moli-Andru in the early hour of the morning and picked up the chiefs. On their way back, the soldiers also picked up the head chief of Kerepi Payam,” a source who witnessed the arrest said on Sunday.
The cause of the detention remains unclear, with multiple sources giving conflicting accounts about circumstances surrounding the arrest of the traditional leaders in the area along Juba-Nimule road. A military source speaking today from Nimule town claimed that the two chiefs hosted rebel commander Martin Kenyi whose forces allegedly operate in the area.
The chiefs reportedly denied any meeting with the rebel commander during hours of questioning. They have been taken to Nimule military barrack for further interrogation.
Other sources from the area suggested that the two chiefs were not arrested for hosting Martin Kenyi but because of a meeting organised by Dinka displaced community in Nimule which the Madi chiefs attended.
According to a source who claimed to have attended the meeting held on 28 February, the members of the internally displaced Dinka presented three proposals to be signed by Madi chiefs.
One of the proposals, he said, was the allocation of land for settlement. The other proposal was to allow free grazing of their cattle in Madi area and the third demand was for the appointment of a deputy area administrator for Pageri from the Dinka community to represent them.
The chiefs of the Madi, some of whom have now been arrested, reportedly told the Dinka members at the meeting that they cannot sign any agreement with them before traveling around all the four Payams of Pageri Administrative Area to consult with the host communities on their proposals.