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RUMBEK - 11 Feb 2019

National security detains SPLM official in Rumbek

South Sudanese security services have detained a leading member of the SPLM party in Alor County in Western Lakes State, officials said.

Makuer Dhok, the ruling SPLM party's secretary general in Alor County, was arrested by national security forces in Rumbek town over the past three days.

Western Lakes’ information minister Isaac Majak confirmed to Radio Tamazuj Monday that Makuer was detained in Rumbek.

He added that the party official was detained following differences with Governor John Deng Mamer over administrative issues.

“He [Makuer] differed with the governor after he changed a list of people who were nominated to attend the national dialogue conference in Wau, so Makuer changed the list and nominated his own people and then signed the document on behalf of the county commissioner,” he said.

“Makuer rejected the three people nominated by the commissioner of Alor County to attend the national dialogue conference,” said.

A relative of the detained party official, speaking on a condition of anonymity, confirmed the arrest.

He revealed that the reason behind Makuer’s arrest is his disagreement with the newly appointed state governor.

“Makuer was arrested by the governor following differences over a delegation from Alor County to attend the national dialogue conference in Wau,” he said.

“The governor had proposed people from the county to attend the national dialogue conference and Makuer proposed his own people, so this is where the problem started,” he said.

“The governor wanted his own people to go while the SPLM secretariat in the area wanted its own people to go. The problem is about the delegation. “

He noted that the party official is being detained in the area of Makoi in Rumbek town.