‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
By James Gatdet Dak
October 7, 2008 (JUBA) – Local administrators in Juba arrested young women and men in town who wear very tight trousers, short mini-skirts and short T-shirts, describing these as indecent clothing.
The campaign resulted in a backlash from central figures in the government of Southern Sudan, including from President Salva Kiir Mayardit, who ordered the release of women arrested in Juba over the last two days.
The incident revealed areas of deep social strain and local concerns about new cultural influences.
Numerous young women were picked up by police officers and taken in the back of pickup trucks to a ‘Public Order Court’ in the Malakia / Konyo Konyo Market district of Juba. Eyewitnesses described many women later leaving the premises in bloodstained clothing, showing what appeared to be clear signs of beating, according to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS).
Local police said that the arrests were authorized by an order dated October 2, signed by Albert Pitia Redantore, the commissioner of Juba County, in which he banned “all bad behaviours, activities and imported illicit cultures of what is known as ‘niggers’ in Juba County.”
Southern Sudan’s capital for the last year has witnessed an influx of returning young people from northern Sudan and the diaspora, some importing foreign cultural practices and organizing themselves into groups labeled as ‘negro’ or ‘nigger’ groups.
Girls and boys as young as 12 years old participate in such groups in the town.
Anne Itto, deputy secretary general of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), explains, “‘Niggers’ is the perhaps unfortunate term being used by older generations in Juba to describe a section of Sudanese youth, which has adopted loosely Urban American/Jamaican modes of dress and behaviour. The term is pejorative, as the group has been anecdotally associated with criminal actions.”
More than thirty youth were arrested and taken to police stations Monday as they were rounded up in the streets by the police, who accused them of not dressing in a decent manner and exposing their bodies.
In a telephone statement, Minister Luka Biong Deng noted that the controversial police action had originated at the local level, within Central Equatoria State, and that the State bore the responsibility for it.
The minister said that the president had ordered a “serious investigation” into the incident, and specifically into how the local county order had come to be issued. The legality of the order has subsequently been widely questioned. GoSS Minister of the Interior Paul Mayo Ace is reported to be heading the investigation into the matter.
GoSS Minister of Gender, Social Welfare and Religious Affairs Mary Kinden Akimbo criticized the order to arrest the young people, saying the issue needed to be carefully studied before taking any necessary decision.
“Decency is a subjective word … which one needs to first define to know what constitutes decency and what does not,” she said.
Itto stated on behalf of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, “the women detained are all reportedly young. Contrary to suggestions that the action was part of a crackdown on foreign national sex-workers, at least a large proportion were reported to be Sudanese nationals. Some were said to be returning home from Church at the time of arrest and at least one described being forcibly detained whilst bathing her baby, putting the infant at risk of drowning.”
Itto visited the United States in August as part of a senior SPLM delegation. “We are fortunate to have been invited by the two leading political parties,” she told Sudan Tribune during the Democratic and Republican political conventions. “We met a number of people, including Susan Rice, Madeleine Albright and had conferences.”
“The order is vague as to exactly what behaviors are being banned,” Itto said on Monday, criticizing the local morality initiative.
Juba County Commissioner Redactor on Thursday also issued an order closing all bars from 10 p.m. until 5 p.m. the next day.
(ST)
Daniel Van Oudenaren form Washington contributed to this story
HONEY
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
what kind of disgrace is this?
it is very unfortunate that police in southern sudan is allowed to act unlawfully by arresting, beating and even killing civilians. Are there laws that outlines what kind of dress code young people are to be seen it or not seen in? was there an announcement to make young people aware that the foreign culture they brought into the country is unacceptable? to make life easy the word nigga should be understood before rushhing to conclusions. it simply means Black and that’s what we are.
to advice our government and lawmakers, we are southern sudanese not arabs so we are allowed to cover some parts of our bodies to suit civilisation or leave our bodies naked to follow what our ancestors did. i have never heard of a particular dress code in southern sudan. don’t people have better people to arrest than half naked 12 years old girls.
i do not believe in muslim dressing rubbish. in every society you will find women who are modest, civilised or naughty and they should
dress accordingly. we can’t all be the same, how will men tell the difference between a sex worker and a normal modest women?
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IS A RIGHT EVERY HUMAN BEING DESERVES.
Yong Kuai
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
Is good that GOSS ministers intervened in this matter. A dress code is not associated with crime if crime activities are not recorded in contrary to how some one dress up.
What Commissioner Pitia should remember is that, some of these young people were arrested on their way from church, and there is no where on this earth where criminals go to church instead of persueing their crime activities.
Dressing style is not a government role, it parents’ responsibilities to make sure that their kids go to schools while dressing appropraitely. If government is to take parent responsibilties, then what will parents do?
Pitia, if you don’t want a nigger style dressing in Juba, you should provide public education in order for the community to know negatives assocaited with that dress code. Is not a good dressing style I believe, but arresting innocent kids is inappropraite enough.
Remember South Sudan is openning up for an international tourism very soon I believe. What will you do for an American tourist visiting Juba to see animals in South Sudan, and in this way he or she dress up as nigger? Will you arrest them, then you will answer arrest question to their home country, if you don’t, then you have violated your own laws
Pitia dress code is a matter of choice, not an obligation.
Grader
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
Where is Mr “ILLOGIC”? By the way, who is the commissioner? Is he a cattlekeeper or ….
Dotcom
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
My fellows country men where did commissioner of Juba got that law passed by the government to arrest teenagers in the way they dressed. What is government reaction to the torturing of children and why did commissioner start with teenagers in the city and not his own people naked in the village even without clothing.
Dear mr commissioner you should consider Juba as the capital city that bring people from different cultural backgrounds to live in the city and wear in the way they feel, so you don’t have to force all people to dress like muslim including foreigners who are culturally oriented in their own ways of dressing. My God i didn’t believed our country still maintain corporal punishment as the only means of discipline. Iam impatient to wait for respond from president as he send his team of investiagtion for the decision made by commissioner and local polices as they must be accountable for that issue and i ppreciated the president for his aunthentic prompt.
BY Dotcom
Mabutu Malet
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
Sorry to tortured youth!
Please brothers and sisters take courage for it’s not the begining and end of difficulties in this restless world.
This treatment of citizens was known to Arabs but not to extern it’s hand to this peace time. SPLM has brought every freedom (Freedom of speech, dressing,etc). This act of taking law to your own hand must be immediately stopped.
Where is mr.Big Illogic boy who clam every thing good always come from Equartoria? See how your great Equartorians behave by bitting and tortured thier own brothers and sisters like animals. Is it the way you clam to be logic? Your are greater and bigger for nothing.
Last time you talked bad words to Jonglei citizens when they were not bitten and tortured by the police. Why are you hidding not to commence ont this article when you are the first to commence on every article? You are the kind of a person that talks about bad things to others leaving his/her own bad on his face.
Today it’s proved itself. You are fool and illogic to the name you ever clam if you don’t commend on this article, to tell them that what they did is not good and it is not necessary to be done to citizen of this lovely country South Sudan. Your commissioner with his police took law into their hand. this is punishable.
Deng Ateny
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
This article raises eye brows on how our leaders operate. According to the article, Mr. Redantore, who supposedly authorized the arrest acted independent of the constitution and as a result has breached the public trust and failed his duties to act by the constitution.
It is a failure of duty of care to the GoSS which entrusted him to implement laws only passed by the parliament and to the people to whom those laws protect. Contrary to GoSS blessing, the commissioner turned authoritative and made laws against his county’s citizens.
Anthor irony is, such social laws are in contrary to either new Sudan vision or liberation theme, whichever you believe in. Southerners and other affected Sudanese spent two decades in wars and stagnation resulting in acquired social norms in the name of freedom only to realize dressing the way you like is indecent. There is only a fine line between personal right of freedom, hence it is always impossible to practice one’s rights without stepping over others’. However, it is dictatorial to impose your so call rights/believes on others especially when in power. Such incidents happen all the time but few makes it to the press, it is upto us including those who slipped to do the right thing, Iam condemning nobody but argue to think before we act, me included.
Hillary B.M.L,M
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
Good,You see People,do not say the Commissioner is wrong or decided without GOSS consultation or High Level Authorities,and If I were him,sure I will go farther.The Reason is why People forgetting their real Life styles and adopt other people styles?Remember our Country is a Baby country and automatically adopted these Cultures Right now,what do you think would be in the coming future?Sure our Traditions and cultures will not exist.Finally the Commissioner had done good and let him go doing it to stop these bad PRACTICES
Monylok
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
Thanks to our Brilliant President, Salva Kiir Mayardit for intervening in this illegal ACT by Police.
This act is beyond primitivism. Juba Commissioner need to be taken to hospital for checkup, is he well?? Why does he ordered the rest of innocent South Sudanese Children. This happened also in Upper Nile last year and this is not acceptable in modern society. There are illicit arms in the houses every where in South Sudan and this should be the priority.
GOSS should train Police to know their Jobs otherwise such brutal act will never end because they are Primitives.
Where in our Constitution do you find dressing as a crime??!!
miss JOOK
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
We want to seperate from Arabs yet we still want to cover our bodies like them. we claim victory and peace but Arabs way of doing things is still in our heads. if the police has nothing to do rather than arresting teenagers, they should be deployed in Darfur to do some peace keeping or do physical labour for the country like building the desperately needed roads. shame on you arab minded police. its okay to wear tight jeans as long as you do not hurt other people.
AK-47
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
look at those who know thing about the real world. commissioner passed his own law. *(<:"WTF"@?! is that!! ask yourself what SPLM/A fought for last two decades...come on, was freedom for all. that law you got is SHERIA LAW base in khartoum...open your eye this is S Sudan otherwise youth will fight GOSS for their right if the law still exist...
jocknyabiil
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
THOSE GIRLS WHO HAD BEEN ARRESTED DESERVE IT.
WHAT THEY DID WAS UNACCEPTABLE THEREFORE THE COURSE TAKEN BY THE POLICE IS IN ACCORDANT WITH THE RESPECT TO THE LAW OF CONSCIENCE.
Daniel Kalaka
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
That move is really accepteable action and when we need to take action we have to verfying it before launching it may be policemen doesn’t know their duty this was against CPA defination and Southern Sudan Constitution and against human right .Government of Southern Sudan have to taken action upon that otherwise it will show nagetive image reflection to GOSS and they have apoligize for that move!!!!!!
lojur lokiden
Exposure of The Private Parts Is To Be Prohibited!!
How do you feel when you see your daughter/ sister or else relatives with Parts of their breasts and buttocks halfway displayed??? Is you house(Juba in general)a concert theatre where you can expose everything as part of the acting? Are we(southerners) really christians?
I wonder the way you react to the commissioner! It`s like you enjoy looking at your mothers`/sisters` private parts. that`s weird!!
Juba is the centre for displine and to be as role model to the other cities but not to practise PUBLIC MISCONDUCT.
You better talk about the way the police are arresting them but not why they are arrested.
Even our leaders who are suppose to tell us the right thing are negatively understanding this issue!! what a mess!!
I advise those who are criticing Pitya to think like a human/youth. Or they can expose themselves only to their family members but not to affect the others. Most people disagree with this because the truth is always bitter. drinking time must also be limited because southerners need to work hard for a better south. Who will work for us if we waste the time in drinking?
BRAVO PITYA…STOP UNNECCESSARY PRACTICES IN JUBA. IT`S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS THE COMMISSIONER.
Daniel Kalaka
‘Trousers’ arrests prompt Salva Kiir’s intervention in Juba
Dear bro you are wrong there ,please let me tell you this act is so call pre-mature idea and misleading idealogy
please go and reverse the CPA contents and make comment on such immorale act,
if the CPA can give freedom of expression,speech,religion,culture,selfrelaince race identity either white or black alike see the 2005 acts of human righ article IV of human freedom
not only that there is alot of mass in Juba regardless what they define as misbehavior by young girls & men and leaving those corrupting town of juba,land grabbing ,stealing money of Goss for self interest……X
X+y=xy2…… please formulate yourself before you rush to somebody in other hand you have to clean you home before you went to advise someone about he/her compound!!!!!