South Sudan activist Morris Mabior plans legal action against ex-spy chief after release

JUBA – South Sudanese civil society activist Morris Mabior, who was kidnapped in Kenya and detained for nearly two years in Juba, said on Wednesday he plans to sue former head of the National Security Service (NSS) General Akol Koor Kuc, accusing him of rights violations.

Garang, a registered asylum seeker in Kenya, was abducted in February 2023 and handed over to South Sudan’s National Security Service. He was released on bail on November 8, 2024, by the new leadership of the NSS, who informed him that he had no case with the government.

“The only case they said remains is the defamation case against General Akol Koor,” Garang said in an interview with Sudans Post yesterday. “But I will push my lawyer to continue calling for justice and fair trial. My time has been wasted for two years without any crime committed against the state.”

Garang said his detention left his family scattered, and he is unaware of his wife’s whereabouts.

“My children are scattered, and I don’t know where they live. I don’t have any child or a wife around me,” he said.

He described the conditions of his detention as harsh, alleging that he was denied food, water, medical care, and access to legal counsel for months.

He said he was held in isolation and subjected to late-night interrogations by masked individuals.

“I was restricted from communication and basic needs. I have a longstanding health condition and was not allowed to seek medical attention. For seven months, I didn’t see daylight,” he said.

Garang accused Akol of orchestrating his kidnapping and detention, which he said were facilitated by bribes and involved family members of the former intelligence chief.

He plans to file a case in South Sudan’s Supreme Court and escalate it to regional and international courts.

“I will open the case in the East African Court of Justice,” he said. “This is a clear violation of international law. Justice delayed is justice denied.”