South Sudan security shuts opposition office in Lakes State, arrests deputy governor
March 25, 2025 (JUBA) – Security forces in South Sudan’s Lakes State have shut down the main opposition party’s office in Rumbek and arrested several senior officials, including the deputy governor, party officials said on Tuesday, raising concerns of a widening crackdown amid heightened political tensions.
The closure on Monday followed a statement last week by Lakes State Deputy Governor Isaiah Akol Mathiang condemning the arrest of senior officials from his party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), in the national capital, Juba. Mathiang also serves as the state SPLM-IO chairperson.
Lakes State Governor Rin Tueny Mabor, according to state media reports, described his deputy’s statement as “insubordination and incitement” against national authorities. His stance appeared to prompt the National Security Service (NSS) to arrest Mathiang.
SPLM-IO officials said that State Minister of Animal Resources Gai Magok, Ater Akolde, an opposition member of the state parliament, and Mandela Machiek, the party’s youth league chairperson, were also arrested.
Mabor is a senior member of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) led by President Salva Kiir and a former head of military intelligence. He ordered the closure of the SPLM-IO office in Rumbek, the Lakes state capital.
Observers told Sudan Tribune they feared the crackdown could extend to other opposition-controlled areas within the state.
Acting State Information Minister William Koji Kirjok confirmed the closure on Tuesday. “The office will remain closed because the chairman of the SPLM-IO party (in the state) is in detention… the party will not operate until the matter is addressed,” Kirjok said in a statement, adding that detainees would face court after investigations are completed.
Civil society organizations have called for de-escalation and urged authorities to allow dialogue to defuse the situation.
The SPLM-IO national secretariat condemned the actions in Rumbek. Spokesperson Pal Mai Deng called the arrests and office closure a “violation of the 2018 peace deal” and demanded the office be reopened.
“The SPLM-IO condemns these continued violations… and the unlawful arrest of its members,” Deng said in a statement on Tuesday.
The events in Rumbek unfold amid broader political and military tensions, including the recent seizure of Nasir town in Upper Nile state by a “white army” militia, typically comprising armed ethnic Nuer youths, reported to be loyal to the SPLM-IO led by First Vice President Riek Machar.