A senior South Sudanese diplomat has been held without charge by the National Security Service (NSS) for more than a month, family members said Monday.
Ambassador Regina Akur Nyok, the deputy head of mission to China, is being held at the National Security Service headquarters, a notorious detention facility in the capital known as the “Blue House.”
Before her diplomatic posting, Nyok served as a key administrative aide and deputy office manager for President Salva Kiir following her appointment in November 2025. Prior to her role as deputy office manager, she served as the chief cashier in the Office of the President.
Majokrial Mathiang, a relative of the ambassador, told Radio Tamazuj that the family remains in the dark regarding the reasons for her arrest. He noted that while some relatives have attempted to visit her, they have been denied access by security personnel.
“We don’t know the reasons why she was arrested,” Mathiang said. “She was working as deputy ambassador to China; she is an active diplomat.”
Mathiang expressed concern that a high-ranking official could be imprisoned without the apparent involvement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He called for her immediate release or for the government to present her before a court of law, noting that her prolonged detention without charge violates domestic legal standards.
South Sudan’s National Security Act grants the agency broad powers to arrest and detain individuals without a warrant. While the nation’s laws mandate that detainees must be brought before a judge within 24 hours, security forces rarely adhere to this requirement.
Under the South Sudan Diplomatic and Consular Service Act of 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for managing the administrative consequences of a diplomat’s arrest. The law mandates the immediate suspension of any diplomat facing charges, pending a formal investigation into the alleged misconduct.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President have not officially confirmed whether they were notified of the arrest. Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Thomas Kenneth could not immediately be reached for comment.
Authorities have not issued a statement regarding Nyok’s status, but her detention comes amid a broader crackdown on high-profile figures in the finance and security sectors. Since the beginning of the year, several officials have been targeted in connection with corruption allegations, though it remains unclear if Nyok’s case is linked to that sweep.
and then