6 people abducted at Bentiu IDP camp released – lawmaker

JUBA – Six people including a minor who were arrested on Thursday inside Bentiu Internally Displaced Persons’ camp in Bentiu have been released without charges, according to a member of Unity State legislative assembly.

On Thursday afternoon, Hon. Marol Ter who represents Panyijiar County at the transitional parliament of Unity State said three people including a woman were attacked, beaten and then taken away by men in South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) uniforms.

The number increased to six after three others including a 14-year-old boy happened to have also been arrested just after the arrest of the first three people.

Speaking to Sudans Post on Saturday, Hon. Marol said all the people who were detained are relatives of an unnamed youth leader who had allegedly written a statement calling for resignation of the governor of Unity State Dr. Joseph Manytuil.

The lawmaker said John Jal and Gatjang Tap, two of the six people arbitrarily detained, were nurturing wounds after their release as they were allegedly tortured, and said the youth were arrested on orders of the gubernatorial advisor on security affairs, Salam Maluet.

“Those who were arrested have now been released and one of them, John Jal, sustained some uncomfortable pain because he was beaten, pricked with some sharp instruments and hit with a gun,” the lawmaker said.

“The one who arrested them is the governor’s security advisor and they were kept at Rubkona police station near Baar military barrack,” the lawmaker added.

Hon. Marol said those arrested were interrogated by the police to show them the whereabouts of the youth leader who is their relative, saying the security advisor wanted to put behind bars the youth leader because of the statement in which he called on the governor to resign

“They were told to disclose the whereabouts of the IDP camp youth leader since all of them are relatives of the youth leader and if they don’t, the police threatened to deal with them. The security advisor wants to put the youth leader behind bars,” he said.

“So now, all the six men have been released including the woman and the small boy, but John Jal and Gatjang Tap have been badly beaten. And all of them are relatives of the youth leader who has however fled into hiding,” he added.

The lawmaker further said that the detainees “have not been charged for any offense as provided for by our law and they were not tried or taken to court. I think they wanted to kill the youth leader if they found him.”