30 banditry suspects held in Lakes state military prison
March 7, 2013 (RUMBEK) – Lakes state’s military caretaker governor announced on Thursday that 36 men suspected of banditry have been arrested by South Sudanese security services this week.
Maj-Gen Matur Chut Dhuol, who was appointed as Governor in January to address deteriorating security in Lakes state, told the press that the search for further suspects was ongoing.
Dhoul, who has warned that those arrested on suspicion of involvement in violence in Lakes state will be held in secret prisons and only be given access to a state-appointed attorney, said that those arrested men captured “will face justice” but did not give a time frame for their cases to be processed.
A source who witnessed the arrests said that the suspects are being held in a prison belonging to the South Sudanese army (SPLA) located in the northern part of Rumbek Central county. They added that those arrested have frequently complained that they have not been granted access a lawyer.
Rumbek East County commissioner, David Marial Gumke, said that the Lakes state government is working hard to improve security. “We captured those suspected people under [the] order of [the] Caretaker Governor”, he said.
He added that the “government is doing her best to bring those suspected to book”.
Meanwhile, the Rumbek Central County commissioner, Abraham Mayen Kuc, attempted to assure the public that the arrests were being carried out with good reason.
“We arrested them for a reason” he said, promising that security would be restored to Rumbek within three weeks.
Lakes state residents have complained about the use of the military prison in Langcok to hold large numbers of young men suspected of involvement in recent inter-tribal clashes.
Reports that prisoners are being harshly treated and in some cases being tortured have not been verified as the Governor has banned human rights activists and investigators from visiting the prison.
(ST)