Homes to South Sudanese dissidents raided in Juba
October 7, 2016 (JUBA) – Four homes for South Sudanese former ministers and senior ex-intelligence officials who turned critics of President Salva Kiir have been raided and locked in the national capital, Juba, sources have said.
Targeted are homes to Mac Paul Kuol, former SPLA Military Intelligence (MI) director, Majak Agoot, former deputy minister of Defense and head of National Security Services (NSS) before South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011, Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, widow to late John Garang, founder of the ruling party, SPLM, and Oyay Deng Ajak, former minister for National Security, who was also chief of general staff for the South Sudanese army (SPLA).
The raid which occurred on Thursday was allegedly carried out by the National Security Services (NSS), a government unit that searches, confiscates or detains people without court warrants.
Majak, who has been criticising rival leaders in South Sudan and advocates for temporary administration without President Salva Kiir and opposition leader, Riek Machar, confirmed the raid on his Juba house in a social media post on Thursday.
He accused President Kiir’s government of allegedly copying from the neighbouring Sudanese government such actions which terrorize people.
“Copycatting Khartoum – the NSS has broken into my Juba family home; terrorizing the occupants; confiscating documents, and locking it up,” he wrote on Twitter, attracting critical comments from his followers.
By “copycatting Khartoum” the former spy chief, who was deputy to security chief in Khartoum, was referring to notorious Sudanese NSS that targeted assets and families of dissident politicians.
Sources told Sudan Tribune that some family members have been arrested, others beaten up and ordered to leave the compounds of the former SPLM senior officials.
Majak and Oyai were arrested at the onset of the conflict in December 2013 but Nyandeng, who is also critical of President Kiir’s administration, joined the former detainees as nonviolent group during the two years of war between president Kiir’s soldiers and those loyal to his former deputy, Machar.
Ex-military intelligence chief, Mac Paul, was dismissed in May 2014, a month after dismissing as false, government’s account of an alleged coup plot by Machar and others which was made the cause that triggered the violence on 15 December 2013.
Majak said in his Twitter message that Mac’s home, who like Majak, is from Dinka Bor or Twic county, home county of the former leader, John Garang, was also raided.
“Gen. Mac Paul’s home has also been vandalized – a rogue measure of bad taste which is beneath the esteem & standards of the rule of law,” former deputy minister of defense wrote.
Government officials contacted by Sudan Tribune for comment declined, treating the issue as “sensitive.”
But critics of the government described the move as “deposition” and desperate attempt to intimidate opponents of the government. Government supporters, however, praised the move as necessary to punish “traitors.”
(ST)