S. Sudanese security arrest General Dau Aturjong’s relative
January 11, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudanese government agents have arrested a relative of General Dau Aturjong, a senior military officer who last year switched allegiance to the country’s rebel faction led by former vice-president Riek Machar.
The reasons for his arrest so far remain unclear, although observers say it could be linked to critical views he expressed regarding the way in which the president and his government had been running the country’s affairs.
A statement released by the family on Sunday said the government had refused to cooperate or provide any further information since his arrest.
“The family is in total confusion and it is the right of the family and even the general public to know what he has done,” the statement said.
“In our constitution a suspect has a right to know the cause of arrest. It is a constitutional right which should be respected instead of ignoring it,” it adds.
The family has called on the government to make clear the reasons for Kuot’s arrest and to release him for the sake of his family.
“We therefore called upon the president and the government to let know family the cause of arrest and release him for the sake of peace of minds in the family because “His (Kuot) arrest has tortured the family, especially the children. They are psychologically affected by his absence,” the family said in their statement.
“The arrest is a clear violation of the bill of rights in our constitution,” it adds.
Kuot is also a relative of General Kawac Makuei, a highly respected military figure and prominent member of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state.
In comments made prior to his arrest, Kuot criticised the manner in which president Salva Kiir Mayardit and the chief of general staff, Gen. Paul Malong Awan, have been managing the affairs of the people of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state and South Sudan as a whole.
“I have never seen in [my] life a country where a president, who is supposed to be the head of the whole nation, decides to be a leader of cliques and sadly runs the country on the basis of friendship at the expense of others. God help South Sudan, Kuot said in a post on his Facebook page two days before his arrest, a close family member told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.
“I think this post, among other critical views about the way the president and his government had handled the current crisis, might have caused the arrest … because even some of the security personnel have been telling us to advise him to stop being critical of the president and General Malong on social media while he is the country,” the relative said.
(ST)