Activists briefly detained by NSS agents during parliamentary session

JUBA – Civil society activists were briefly detained by National Security Service (NSS) agents on Wednesday after South Sudan’s parliament passed a controversial amendment to the National Security Service Act, according to rights groups.

In a pre-recorded statement to Sudans Post, Ter Manyang Gatwech, the Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA said he and others were held for 40 minutes following the parliamentary session.

NSS personnel questioned them about their presence at the assembly.

“We have been detained by the NSS for 40 minutes after the (parliamentary) session today. Then they asked us who invited you to come. We told them this is not the first time for us to come to attend such a session,” he said.

“They said that in this session, civil society organizations, journalists and activists are not allowed to enter according to the order,” he added.

Gatwech condemned the detention and the passage of the amended bill, which maintains controversial articles granting the NSS broad powers of arrest and detention without warrants.

These powers, previously enshrined in sections 54 and 55, have been reportedly moved to a new section (57) in the amended act.

“The passing of the Bill was not right because they already put everything including Section 54 and 55 and they also moved those powers to Section 57 which is going to disturb the whole public,” Gatwech said.

Separately, activist Edmund Yakani confirmed the detention of several members from five different civil society organizations for 40 minutes at the parliament building. Yakani strongly condemned the denial of access to the parliamentary session for both civil society and media representatives.

“The civil society and other non-governmental actors were denied access to the parliamentary session as their right to observe the deliberations of the parliament on the passage of the NSS act,” Yakani told Sudans Post.

“This is a violation of the purpose by which the parliament is called the house of the people. The civil society members detained are from five different civil society organizations and they were detained for at least 40 minutes,” he added.

The incident, like previous others, raises concerns about shrinking space for public participation and oversight in South Sudan, particularly regarding legislation with significant human rights implications.

In October, UN rights experts called on the government to urgently cease unlawful media censorship, end intolerable restrictions on civic and political activities, and halt attacks on journalists and human rights defenders.

The report, titled “Entrenched Repression: the systemic curtailment of democratic and civic space in South Sudan,” said members of the NSS always ask civil society groups to seek prior authorization for all activities, which are then monitored to dissuade talk on topics and events which authorities would prefer them to avoid.