South Sudan strips detained opposition officials of immunity

JUBA – South Sudan has lifted the immunity of several detained officials from the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), accusing them of involvement in recent clashes in Upper Nile state, the government said on Monday.

Information minister and government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth told reporters during a press conference in Juba on Monday that the detained constitutional postholders had lost their immunity and would face legal proceedings.

“Some of the detainees are constitutional postholders, and their immunities are lifted. They will all be investigated and tried according to the law and shall be entitled to all their constitutional and legal rights,” Makuei said.

The detained officials, held at the National Security Services’ (NSS) Blue House, include Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chuol, Deputy Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, and Gatwech Lam Puoch, a member of parliament. First Vice President Riek Machar’s aide Camilo Gatmai, among others, is also detained.

It was unclear if President Salva Kiir had issued a formal order lifting their immunities. Such decisions are typically announced on state television South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), but no official statement has been made.

The arrests follow clashes earlier this month between the White Army, a militia historically associated with the SPLM-IO, and the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF). The fighting resulted in the death of SSPDF commander Lt. Gen. David Majur Dak, among others.

The detentions have escalated tensions within the unity government. The SPLM-IO condemned the arrests as politically motivated and withdrew from peace mechanisms outlined in the revitalized peace agreement.

These mechanisms include the Joint Defense Board and the Joint Military Ceasefire Committee.

The deployment of Ugandan troops in South Sudan has further heightened tensions, with the SPLM-IO warning that foreign military involvement risks undermining the peace process.