Yel Deng Nguel, development advisor for the Northern Bahr al Ghazal state government, says he has been in detention for more than two months without charge.
He said authorities have not explained to him or his relatives why he has been deprived his freedom.
“I am going to three months now without being told what I have done,” Yel said. “My family members, my community members, and even the members of the general public are asking what I have done to warrant this arrest. I have no answers to these questions because until this moment, I have not been told what I have done.”
“There are no charges brought against me, not even an official verbal charge. I mean no official has ever told me in a meeting what I have done,” Yel said.
Yel’s lawyers have not received any response to ther petition to the ministry of defense over the matter, he confirmed.
Maluil Deng, a relative of Yel in Juba, said they have been unable to secure appointment seeking a meeting with President Kiir over the matter since the arrest was made in January.
“As a family, we want to know from the president one question: is it fair to arrest people without letting them know what they have done? Is it fair to arrest people just because you don’t like them?” he said.
“We also want to know whether he is the president of some few people and to tell us who is our president then and where should we go,” Deng continued.
Deng said their attempts to meet with the President over the matter have been rebuffed.
“We are blocked at the gate,” he said.
Related:
SPLM leading member demands justice for detained advisor (17 Mar.)
N Bahr el Ghazal advisor takes Defense Ministry to court over arrest (13 Feb.)
‘I’d rather die than go to Juba’: official arrested in Aweil (11 Jan.)
N Bahr el Ghazal governor rejects demand to sack advisor (9 Jan.)
Politician detained at Wunyiik military base (7 Jan.)