South Sudan security forces detain ex-finance minister, central bank chief

JUBA — South Sudanese security forces have detained former Finance and Planning Minister Marial Dongrin and transferred former Bank of South Sudan Governor Moses Makur Deng to national security headquarters, in an apparent widening of measures targeting senior political and economic figures in the capital.

Dongrin was apprehended early Thursday morning in Rumbek, Lakes State, and transported to Juba after reportedly declining a directive to present himself to authorities, sources told Sudans Post.

“He was called yesterday to report to Juba but he refused. Today at 5:00 AM, the security forces came and picked him and drove the guy all the way to Juba,” a source said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Security personnel escorted Dongrin by road to the capital under armed supervision, according to sources familiar with the operation.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed the legal basis for his detention, and officials from the government and security services could not immediately be reached for comment.

In a separate development, former central bank governor Moses Makur Deng was moved on Thursday from house arrest to custody at the National Security Service (NSS) headquarters in Juba.

Sources said Deng’s restriction of movement began earlier in the week shortly after his return to the country from India, where he had undergone medical treatment.

Security officers initially confined him to his residence on Wednesday before transferring him to NSS facilities a day later.

“He was first put under house arrest on Wednesday at his residence, but security forces moved him to the National Security Service headquarters today,” a source close to the matter said.

The detentions mark the second time in recent months that senior figures considered politically aligned with President Salva Kiir have been detained or placed under movement restrictions.

The developments follow the earlier house arrest of businessman and presidential ally Benjamin Bol Mel, whose detention was widely interpreted by political observers as signalling shifts within South Sudan’s ruling elite and internal power structures.

While the government has provided no official explanation for the latest arrests, analysts say the targeting of senior economic officials — including a former finance minister and a central bank governor — suggests growing scrutiny within institutions responsible for fiscal management and monetary policy.

The moves come at a time of continued economic strain in South Sudan, where currency instability, declining oil revenues and delays in public sector payments have intensified pressure on state institutions.

Political observers in Juba say the detentions risk deepening uncertainty within the political establishment, particularly as the country navigates an extended transitional period and unresolved security arrangements ahead of long-delayed elections.

Neither Dongrin’s family nor Deng’s representatives have publicly commented on their detention, and it remains unclear whether formal charges have been filed against either official.