US citizen dies after being detained by South Sudan’s army in Jonglei

June 19, 2012 (BOR) – A United States citizen, who born was on of South Sudan’s famous ‘lost boys’ displaced in the civil war, has died in Bor the capital of Jonglei State after being detained by South Sudan’s army (SPLA).

Police officials in Bor told Sudan Tribune that Mayol Kuch beaten by SPLA soldiers in his house on Sunday at Pan-Pandiar village by SPLA soldiers. Kuch is reported to have been taken to a military barracks over night and released on Monday 18 June. He died shortly after he was released.

A member of Jonglei’s parliament said that Kuch was suspected of taking part in the violence that followed disputed elections in the village for chief of the Adol community.

The team of doctors who conducted Kuch’s postmortem said the death caused was due to internal bleeding. However, the doctors said that there was no physical evidence on his body to show what triggered the internal bleeding.

David Domach, the investigating police officer said that his forces were focusing on whether the reports that the SPLA detained Kuch at their barracks without the knowledge of the police can be verified.

Mayom Ngong, the MP for Kolnyang Payam [district] where Kuch was arrested by the SPLA who suspected to have part of the fighting between sub-clans of the Adol tribe which fought on Sunday evening resulting in death two people.

Ngong said the Kuch had showed his identity documents to army indicating that he was neutral and not part of the clan in fighting “but the soldiers did not listen and so they beat him up and took [him] to the barracks”.

Sudan Tribune has not been able to reach the SPLA for comment. When contacted by Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, Phaedra Gwyn, the public affairs officer at the US embassy in Juba, the South Sudan capital said she was not aware of the incident and requested for more time to follow-up on the report.

(ST)