South Sudan’s presidential guards last week beat up a Member of Parliament while returning to his residence after attending a function in Juba, according to eyewitnesses.
Reports indicate that veteran journalist and politician Arop Madut Arop was beaten up with brutality by President Kiir’s security guards with impunity.
It is not known so far why the guards have beaten him up Arop Madut who is a legislator with immunity according to the country’s law. It is said that the MP preferred not to report what happened to the office of the president.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, the minister in the office of the president, Mayiik Ayii Deng, described as unfortunate reports that Arop Madut had been brutally assaulted by the presidential guards.
“Neither Hon. Member of Parliament nor the soldiers involved in this unfortunate incident informed my office,” said Mayiik.
“We have just heard about it via media only. Nobody has brought it to the attention of the relevant offices at the presidency for immediate attention, so this in an unfortunate incident,” he added.
Arop Madut, who is a renowned author and veteran journalist, is currently representing Abyei area in South Sudan’s National Legislative Assembly.
In a Facebook post, Wol Deng Atak, a former South Sudanese legislator, criticized the presidential guards for attacking an MP who enjoys immunity. He claimed that cases of brutal assaults with impunity by security guards assigned to Kiir’s office have increased with no action taken.
Separately, the former legislator said a young lady called Aring Madut was on Sunday stopped while driving and beaten by security guards of the First Vice President Taban Deng Gai.
“She was forced to sit down before the guards started beating her mercilessly. Aring didn't do anything wrong other than putting the lights of her car on while on the road,” Wol said in a Facebook post.