South Sudan’s Unity State Minister of General Education, Stephen Tot Jock Chieng, was released this afternoon after being detained for 27 hours by military intelligence in Juba.
Chieng, a member of the opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), confirmed his release to Radio Tamazuj this afternoon.
He was arrested on Friday at Juba Airport while preparing to board a UN aircraft to Bentiu, the capital of Unity State.
“I was arrested at the airport at 9 a.m. yesterday by non-uniformed individuals who told me I would not be traveling to Bentiu,” Chieng said. “I spent 27 hours in detention until my release today. The military intelligence apologized and said I had no issues with them.”
Chieng, who was traveling with Unity State Deputy Governor Tor Tungwar Kueiguong, said no reason was given for his arrest. “They rejected my ID as Unity State’s education minister and detained me without explanation,” he added.
The minister denied being mistreated during his detention and expressed gratitude to those who raised awareness about his arrest on radio.
The brief arrest comes amid rising tensions between South Sudan’s government and opposition forces led by First Vice President Riek Machar. Recent clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPF) and armed youth linked Machar’s SPLA-IO in Nasir County of Upper Nile State have exacerbated instability.