South Sudan’s National Security Service have detained two national staff of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), including a journalist working with the peacekeeping mission’s information service.
The United Nations made no statement on the arrest, but Radio Tamazuj identified one of the detainees as George Livio, a journalist who was working with UN Radio Miraya based in Wau, and the other as security guard James Lual Tharjiath.
Both were reportedly transferred to Juba in the custody of the National Security Service, accused of having links with SPLA-IO rebels.
Livio’s father says that he was on leave from UN service at the time of his arrest, but a representative of the UNMISS National Staff Association says Livio should still be afforded “privileges and immunity” of UN personnel.
James Tharjiath, the security guard, is said to have been living under UN protection since April out of fear for his safety because he is a member of the minority Nuer ethnic group. He was picked up by security agents when he left the UN camp over the weekend to visit a residential area.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, the President of the UNMISS National Staff Association Bennett Kenyi confirmed the incident and said they had raised concern over the arrest and demanded for the immediate release of their colleagues.
Bennett said all the allegations made against them were baseless.
“We have confirmed that two of our colleagues working with UNMISS in Western Bahr el Ghazal State have been arrested because of allegedly having been in touch with rebels,” he said.
He rejected the allegations against them saying, “It is not correct. These are UN staff – they have privileges and immunity, and if there is any issue it has to be channeled through the right procedures.”
George Livio has been detained previously by state authorities, including once while covering the trials of politicians accused of involvement in violence in Wau town in December 2012. His father is a state advisor in the Western Bahr al Ghazal government.
Meanwhile, sources who declined to be named told Radio Tamazuj that several other UNMISS national staff have received anonymous phone calls asking them about their political allegiance and the security situation in Wau town.