South Sudan spy agency arrests 2 activists for cooperating with ‘peace spoilers’

JUBA – South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS) has this afternoon stormed the office of the Foundation for Democracy and Accountable governance (FODAG) accusing the civil society activists of cooperating with unnamed people the security agency said are ‘peace spoilers’.

In a social media statement, the Executive Director of the organization Jame David Kolok said people he expected to be security agents have visited his office, the organization’s headquarters, several times before coming with ten soldiers and arresting two of his staffs moments ago.

“Two people have visited my office three times since morning looking for me and the fourth time with more than 10 soldiers who stormed the FODAG office and arrested two of my staff 40 minutes ago,” Kolok said in a social media statement seen by Sudans Post.

“I don’t know where they are being taken. My staffs just like me are innocent and should not be victimized because of my activism,” he added.

A security source told Sudans Post that the activists were arrested “because they cooperate with peace spoilers who don’t want to give the peace agreement a chance.”

Later, Kolok told the AFP that many activists fear for their lives as the government clamps down on freedoms following last month’s call by the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA) urging a peaceful public uprising.

“Since the declaration by the PCCA the authorities have been suspicious of some of us as activists and this is being taken as an opportunity to literally kill activism in South Sudan”, he said.

“We are in a very serious stage of dealing away with freedoms, dealing away with activism and dealing away with people who speak out on issues of national importance”, he added.

Efforts to reach the police and government spokespersons for comments were unsuccessful.