A civil society activist has said two of his workers were yesterday arrested by security personnel who visited their office premises twice during the day before their detention.
Jame David Kolok, the executive director of the Foundation for Democracy and Accountable Governance (FODAG), told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that security agents masquerading as civil society colleagues went to his office on Wednesday morning claiming that they wanted to connect him to a donor.
“What happened this morning is that I think the security agents were visiting my office, they were literally looking for me and they were first claiming to be civil society colleagues,” Kolok said. “And they wanted me because there is some money from a donor and that I must send a proposal. This is what they told my staff who told them I was not there. And indeed, I was out of the office on leave. They remained at the gate of my office.”
He said one of his workers who was going to a garage was intercepted and stopped by the policemen who drove him in circles around the city and demanded money.
“At some point, one of my staff was going to Midan Rembo, to a garage and was stopped by three police officers who entered his car and took him around Juba and brought him to Freedom Hospital and demanded money which he had to call other people who raise and bring USD 800,” he said.
Kolok added: “They said if he does not give (money) and tell where I and Wani Michael are, they would kill him. They said we do not want the government.”
Asked if the three policemen who visited his office were the same who arrested his workers, Kolok said they were separate incidents and that the arrest happened in the afternoon.
“That is a separate incident that happened before the arrest in the afternoon, the earlier incident happened around 11 am,” Kolok said. “Then in the afternoon, those same people who went to the office in the morning finally went together with more than 10 soldiers who arrested this same guy in the morning and another staff member. It was in the afternoon.”
He said he was not aware of where his workers were being held but demanded that they be granted due process.
“Those are just innocent technical staff who have nothing to do with my activism,” Kolok said.
On whether he has been threatened or intimidated in the past, Kolok said, “Threatening messages were sent and they were looking for me. So, I do not know what they will do to me if they arrest me.”