Yakani urges peace presidency to intervene over detention of young opposition leader

JUBA – South Sudan’s Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has appealed to the peace presidency to intervene and release young opposition politician detained for anti-extension remarks.

The leader of the youth-led African People’s Congress (APC), Deng-bil William, was arrested by security agents late night at his residence in Juba on Wednesday, according to the party Interim Secretary-General Jacob Thon Dhiei.

Police spokesman Major-General Daniel Justine confirmed the arrest and said he was arrested at night “because sometimes we do not find people during the day, we monitor you and then you are arrested it is normal.”

In a statement to Sudans Post, the CEPO said it is disturbed by the detention of the opposition leader and said success of the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement can only be measured via freedom of speech.

“CEPO is disturbed by this trend of restriction of freedom of expression. CEPO as stakeholder to the R-ARCSS would like to raise a serious concern to the government security institutions that one of the principle for genuine implementation of the R-ARCSS is inclusivity can be measured through unrestricted political space for sharing of augments or opinions around the implementation of the R-ARCSS and the political environment for transitioning the society from violence to peace,” the statement signed by the Executive Director of CEPO reads in part.

The outspoken said “Restricting political dialogue or augment is a violation of the R-ARCSS and especially if the extended transitional period is aiming at driving political process for peaceful honorable engagement for transitioning the situation to political stability through strengthening political parties system, constitution making and conduct of general national elections than it is essential that the leadership of the country ensure political space for free augment and dialogue is fully observation.”

Yakani said freedom of expression enshrined in the country’s transitional constitution is at risk and will result in the demobilization of public trust on the leaders in their implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.

“Restricting political and civic space for free expression is risk and patient also factor for demobilization public trust and confidence on successful political transition from violence to peace. It is time for the leadership of the country to ensure that freedom of expression respect and honor especially in this last of the peace agreement implementation. Restricting freedom of expression for the public actual is a factor that directly contributed to mobilize the public against the state,” he stressed.

The civil society organization further urged “the presidency to ensure that directives for observation of the freedom of expression are directed to the relevant state authorities that are engaged in restricting it.”