A politician from Northern Bahr al Ghazal who was detained during a recent state SPLM leadership meeting chaired by Gen. Paul Malong is being held at Wunyiik military base, according to a youth leader associated with the politician.
Peter Yel Deng, a development advisor in the state government, hails from Abiem East. He was arrested along with Arkangelo Athian Teeng, a senior party member in the state, during a state SPLM Liberation Council Meeting.
Youth leaders from the area are calling for Yel’s release. The Secretary General of the Abiem Youth Association Atak Dau Akol told the UN radio service, “The State Advisor, Mr. Peter Yel Deng, is from our side… He is now detained in military detention in Wunyik… We are not happy with that, as a community of Abiem East area.”
Northern Bahr El-Ghazal State Spokesperson Wek Kuch has distanced the state government from the arrest: “As a government spokesperson, those who have been detained were not detained by the government. They were detained by the party leadership,” he said.
“There is no light of involvement of the government here. It was the special sitting of the SPLM 51, which was under the chairmanship of Paul Malong Awan. This is where these people were arrested because of some mistakes they have committed.”
Related:
SPLM-Juba launches crackdown on dissent in N Bahr el Ghazal (7 Jan.)