4 arrested in Nimule for allegedly inciting Kajo-keji violence

NIMULE, FEBRUARY 6^th 2023 (SUDANS POST) – At least four people from Kajo-keji County of Central Equatoria state have been arrested and detained by security forces at Nimule border town over alleged links to last week’s violence, sources say.

A security source in Nimule told Sudans Post that three men and a woman coming to Juba via Nimule and were arrested after security forces found minutes of a meeting that was held by Kajo-keji community and then accused of mobilizing youth for violence.

“There are 4 people from Kajo-Keji – 3 men and 1 woman – arrested at Nimule. They were coming to Juba through Nimule but were arrested by the security and are being detained at Nimule army barrack,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

“The reason is that one of them called Lodiong Julius was found with minutes of a meeting he held in Kajo-Keji Liwolo about one of the NGO and now the soldiers are saying he was the one who mobilized the youth,” another source confirmed.

WATCHDOG REACTS TO ARREST

In a statement extended to Sudans Post, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) warned against use of the Kajo-keji violence as opportunity for detentions on ethnic basis and urged the authorities to publicly acknowledge the arrest.

“CEPO is urging the leadership of the country not to allow the situation of violence in Kajo-keji to turn into ethnic fight that will result into ethnic targeted killings and arrests,” the civil society watchdog said in the statement extended to Sudans Post.

“The various social media platforms information is cycling that 4 persons from Kajokeji 3 men and 1 woman are arrested in Nimule army barrack. This kind of act may trigger violence if the authorities did not make the arrest public and being the perpetrators to face due legal process,” it added.

Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of CEPO further warned that “the Kajo-keji violence may develop into worse if it is not handle with care by the government” and welcomed the condemnation of the violence by the president.

“The trending issue of 4 persons from Kajo-keji who were arrested in Nimule should be handled with care and the four arrested persons should either face court of law or be free,” the South Sudanese activist further stressed.