USSP leader detained several times in Western Equatoria

April 15, 2010 (SOURCE YUBU — Western Equatoria) – The leader of the United South Sudan Party (USSP) Clement Juma Mbungoniwia said he had been detained several times on Tuesday and Wednesday in Source Yubu Payam by security personnel and police.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune over the phone from Tambura, Wastern Equatoria, last night upon his arrival from Source Yubu, Clement said he had been asked to leave Source Yubu for Tambura after being detained several times.

He believed that there are other politicians who are behind his detentions because he is becoming very popular in his birth place, Source Yubu.

But in Tambura, the Supreme Judge said, there is nobody in Source Yubu who has the right to detain Mr. Clement who is a lawyer by profession without an order from him (the Supreme Judge). The Supreme Judge asked Mr. Clement to return back to Source Yubu immediately to resume his activities there.

A truck which was hired by Mr. Clement to transport his supporters from Mabenge to Kpatanayo, at 9 kilometers, was also detained by the police and sent back to Tambura together with Mr. Clement. According to the USSP leader the Mabenge polling station was annexed to the Kpatanayo polling station and NEC gave Mr. Clement the go-ahead to transport his supporters on his own to Kpatanayo for voting.

DOUBLE STANDARD POLICY

In Naandi, an SPLM candidate Mr. Joseph Tindiri has been hiring a truck from the Payii Construction Company since the beginning of polling on Sunday to transport his supporters to the polling station without any involvement by the security or police personnel.

Meanwhile supporters or voters who were transported were asked to say; SPLM Oyeee during their journey to the polling station.

It is also reported that the Commissioner of Ezo County Mr. Ambrose Raphael Tamania came to Naandi and forced people to vote only for the SPLM candidates. He gave order to the police to arrest Mr. Moses Salvatore on Monday in Andari and took him to Ezo. Mr. Moses is an agent for the independent Mr. Mbembe.

Also in Source Yubu, some SPLM candidates are said to be campaigning during voting by going from one polling station to another telling people publicly to vote the star which is the symbol of SPLM. In Naandi, the NEC coordinator there Mr. Richard Dazanga is reported to have been siding with the SPLM candidates.

In a complaint letter signed by two independent candidates and one candidate from SSDF which ST obtained a copy late Wednesday, Mr. Dazanga is not neutral as a coordinator of NEC. The three candidates accused Mr. Dazanga of indulging in active campaign for one of the four candidates running for SLA in geographical constituency Nr. 22.

(ST)