Security forces in Northern Bahr al Ghazal State West on Wednesday briefly arrested three officials of the SPLM-IO in Aweil town, the outfit’s chairperson in the state said.

Aweng Ibrahim Akoon, the SPLM-IO chairperson in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, told Radio Tamazuj Thursday that her deputy, Dominic Okech Bol, and Information Secretary Nicola Ngong were detained by the military intelligence on Wednesday and later freed without clear reasons. 

“Our deputy chairperson of SPLM-IO, who is also the deputy chairperson of the employees’ justice commission, and our secretary for information were arrested,” she said. “When we tried to inquire about their arrest, the military intelligence personnel chased us away, so we left without any information, but when we asked Governor Tong Akeen about the issue, he told us that our members were just suspected by the military intelligence and they were freed later.”

She has also confirmed that Mary Kena, a member of the movement’s liberation council member, had been detained since Saturday in Aweil Center County without clear reasons. Three other members of the group fled to Juba, she said.  

The Aweil Center County commissioner, Peter Natale, said he did not have information about the arrests.

“I do not have information. I do not have information about this Kena,” he said.

For his part, Santino Deng Ngong, the head of the civil society in the state, said arbitrary detentions derail peace and appealed to the government to free any detained politician immediately.

“As civil society organizations in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, we are not happy with the arrest of the SPLM-IO members because we are implementing the peace processes, he said. “If people are arrested arbitrarily, it is provocative. We appeal to the state government to release those who are arrested without charges.”

 Last week, the SPLM-IO-appointed human rights commissioner in Lakes State, Malok Makoi, and SPLM-IO MP Mary Nyanbuot were briefly arrested by National Security agents while welcoming their Secretary General, Ms Regina Joseph.