According to a statement issued by Lt. Col. Alberto Buola Unangi, the Chief of Moral Orientation at the SSPDF’s 3rd Infantry Division, Sergeant Major Manut Garang was found guilty by a military court over a 2022 incident that claimed the life of one soldier and injured three others, including a senior commander.
The statement, dated June 21, came amid public allegations by Capt. Matour Garang, the detained soldier’s brother, who accused the division and its leadership of unlawfully holding his sibling.
Military authorities said Manut Garang, an APC driver, was deployed to the Abyei area on October 4, 2022, alongside his commander, Col. Anguei Akot, to respond to internal disputes in the contested region.
According to the division, the soldier allegedly became upset after his request for money and cigarettes was declined by his commander. The statement claims that he later threatened to overturn the vehicle.
The division said that while returning from the mission, Garang drove the APC at excessive speed despite repeated warnings from fellow soldiers, causing the vehicle to overturn.
The crash reportedly killed Capt. Mawien at the scene and seriously injured three other soldiers, including Col. Akot. Military authorities stated that Garang escaped the accident without injuries.
Following the incident, then-Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, Gen. Akuei Ajou Akuei, ordered his arrest and referred the case to a military court.
According to the statement, the Division Court Martial found Garang guilty and ordered compensation for the victims. Military authorities said the division later agreed to compensate the three injured soldiers, while Garang was directed to provide 21 cows to the family of the deceased officer.
The military said the verdict was appealed three times by Capt. Matour Garang, with the case eventually reaching military courts in Wau. Authorities said each appeal upheld the original judgment.
“S/M Manut Garang remains in military prison in Loki,” the statement said, adding that his continued detention stems from the failure to fulfil the compensation order.
The division rejected allegations that Gen. Akuei Ajou Akuei or other military leaders were responsible for the prolonged detention, insisting that the matter remains a legal issue governed by military court decisions.
The statement further accused Capt. Matour Garang was spreading misinformation through the media and warned that security authorities could investigate his actions for bypassing official channels.
Military officials maintained that the only avenue for securing the soldier’s release is compliance with the court’s ruling.
The case has drawn attention to the operation of military justice mechanisms in South Sudan, particularly the use of customary compensation in criminal cases involving soldiers and the continued detention of convicted personnel pending the fulfilment of court-ordered obligations.
Neither Capt. Matour Garang nor the family of S/M Manut Garang immediately responded to the latest statement from the 3rd Infantry Division.
