SPLA-IO forces in Western Bahr el Ghazal State have released the commissioner of Wau County, Jecinto Matia after spending a day in their detention facility.
Commissioner Jacinto Matia was detained on the road between Wau town and Mboro Payam on Friday morning. He was arrested at Bringi checkpoint while travelling to Ngoko Boma to inaugurate a renovated health facility.
On Saturday evening, the commissioner was brought back to Wau town and handed over to the state government by members of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) who went to the SPLA -IO base in Baggari.
Speaking to reporters in Wau town after being released, Commissioner Jacinto said: “When we reached Bringi at the junction, we found SPA-IO soldiers at the checkpoint. So, they stopped us and said why we did not inform them in advance. They asked me, where are you going with a flag? So this is what happened.”
“I was arrested and the rest of the ministers were allowed to return. They were asking why they were not informed and also as a commissioner, they said I shouldn’t have gone to the areas in their control with a government flag,” he added.
Peter Marem, a member of the ceasefire monitoring body, said: “Our mandate is to monitor and verify, investigate and report on the implementation of the peace agreement. Wau County with a few members of staff went to Baggari to commission a new hospital and in the process, he was detained. So, when the information reached us, we went there and we were able to have discussions with the SPLA-IO leadership.”
For his part, Western Bahr el Ghazal state deputy governor Zachariah Joseph Garang appreciated the role played by the ceasefire monitoring body in ensuring the release of the county commissioner.
“We are very happy that through CTSAMVM that we informed had managed to reach out to the SPLA-IO and the commissioner was released,” Garang said.