The arrests, carried out by security operatives on Monday morning, came hours after the revenue offices were forcibly closed on Sunday evening by aggrieved individuals protesting their exclusion from a newly released list of deployed staff. The development has heightened anxiety in the strategic border town, a key hub for customs and local revenue collection.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, identified the detained individuals as Mating Lual Hou, Yai Deng Koc, and Garang Akot. He alleged that the trio were among those who mobilised the shutdown in response to what they described as an unfair and biased recruitment process.
“The security forces took them early this morning. They are being accused of masterminding the closure of the revenue offices and influencing the drafting of a list highlighting those who were left out in the new deployment,” the source said.
According to him, the suspects were initially taken to the municipal council offices for questioning before being transferred to police headquarters for further investigation.
At the heart of the dispute are claims that the latest deployment disproportionately favored candidates from other counties—specifically Aweil North, Aweil West, and Aweil Center—while sidelining qualified individuals from Majok-Yith-Thiou and surrounding areas, particularly Aweil East.
“The youth feel marginalised. They say most of those appointed do not even come from this municipal jurisdiction, yet locals who have long sought these opportunities were ignored,” the source added.
Municipal authorities confirmed they were aware of the grievances and had attempted to mediate before the situation escalated. One official said the protesting group had been urged to present their complaints through formal administrative channels rather than resorting to disruptive action.
“We engaged them and asked them to come forward with their concerns, but they insisted that the process was unfair. They claimed that some of those deployed were not even part of the original Revenue Authority employment list and accused the new leadership of favouring relatives,” the official explained.
The official further revealed that the group had been advised to escalate their complaints to the State Revenue Authority headquarters in Aweil and formally present their case to the Commissioner. However, the advice was reportedly rejected.
“We told them to go and present their grievances to the Commissioner, but they declined and instead went ahead to lock the offices. That forced law enforcement to intervene to prevent further escalation,” he said.
The incident underscores broader frustrations over limited employment opportunities in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, where competition for government jobs—especially in lucrative border towns like Majok-Yith-Thiou—remains intense. Such postings are often viewed as economically advantageous due to their proximity to cross-border trade routes with Sudan.
While authorities say the situation is now under control, underlying tensions persist, with local youth continuing to voice concerns over what they perceive as systemic exclusion and favouritism in public sector recruitment.
