The South Sudanese opposition group SPLM-IO, which has signed a peace deal with the government, announced that government security forces arrested the son of one of their top officials, calling on them to release him.

According to Riek Machar's spokesman, government security agents on Thursday morning picked up Godfrey Kenyi Mulla, son of Richard K. Mulla, at his work place at Kenya Commercial Bank in Juba.

Keny's father Richard is a renowned lawyer and former member of national parliament from Mundri county in Western Equatoria state. He is also currently the chairman of the national committee for justice in Machar's SPLM-IO.

The press statement from SPLM-IO calls on President Kiir's government to release Kenyi, saying, “He shouldn't be targeted simply because he is a son of a senior official in our Movement, even when a final peace deal was signed by the President on Wednesday, 26 August.”

SPLM-IO is calling on higher authorities to intervene to locate Kenyi and secure his release.  

File photo: South Sudanese President Salva Kiir