Opposition lawmakers, activists who protested Leer violence being hunted

JUBA – South Sudan lawmakers and activists who took to streets of Juba yesterday to protest the ongoing violence against civilians in southern Unity state are being hunted by security operatives working on directives of Unity State governor, one of the activists has just told Sudans Post.

Yesterday, several activists and lawmakers took to streets of Juba near the parliament to demand end of the violence in Leer and Mayendit where several civilians, mostly women, lost their lives after the commissioner of Koch County of Unity State General Koang Nyang attacked civilians in southern Unity.

Police then arrested five of the youth activists who were later on released after questioning. They include Puot Tap Riek, Mazala Mabil, Gai Ruop, Lawrence Chiang, Ruth Nyalel.

Speaking to Sudans Post this afternoon, one of the activists who took part in the protest and who was also detained for hours said they have information that Unity State coordinator’s office has deployed security operatives to arrest them separately including the lawmakers.

“The information that we have confirmed is that the governor of Unity State has ordered the coordinator’s office to deploy security operatives to arrest us separately and this is not a joke. They are doing that to silent us, something which will not happen,” the activist who requested not to be identified said.

The lawmakers who participated in the protest include Farouk Gatkuoth, the SPLM-IO Chief Whip in parliament, Kuong Dah Wieh, and Badit Wieh.

The activist further said that “they (security operatives) are also looking for the members of parliament who participated in the peaceful protest whose purpose was to demand the right to life for our people in southern Unity state.”