The Sudan People's Liberation Movement In-Opposition (SPLM-IO) has reported that one of its cabinet ministers has been arrested in Nimule town of Eastern Equatoria State.

Puok Both Baluang, acting press secretary in Riek Machar’s office, told Radio Tamazuj today that Minister of Mining Gen. Martin Gama Abucha was arrested while travelling to Adjumani District of Uganda.

He said security agents followed the national minister’s convoy from the Loa area before intercepting him at the border town of Nimule. He further said the circumstances under which the minister was arrested remain unclear.

Gen. Abucha who was appointed into the office under the SPLM-IO seat is also the party’s representative in the ceasefire monitoring mechanism (CTSAMVM).

Puok stated that they have reported the incident to the ceasefire monitoring body. “We have reported it to CTSAMVM since he is a national minister first of all and we are still making some communication to know where he was taken and the charges,” Puok said.

Reacting to the incident, Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), which promotes civil society values in South Sudan, condemned the minister’s arrest.

 “This incident happened at the moment where we have been seeing positive developments around the implementation of the revitalized agreement where we have seen a positive move in unifying the command structure,” Yakani said.

Yakani calls on the transitional government in Juba to issue an official statement regarding the arrest of Minister Martin Abucha.

“We hope that the arrest of Martin Abucha is not unlawful and hope that the government issues a statement on his arrest,” he concluded.