W. Bahr el Ghazal gov’t frees 8 out of 14 detained civil society activists
December 2, 2015 (WAU) – Governor of South Sudan’s Western Bahr al Ghazal state, Rizik Zacakaria Hassan, has on Tuesday ordered for the release of eight representatives of civil society organizations his government arrested last week over criticizing the state government’s security agents for allegedly terrorizing citizens of the state.
Winne Bibahuga, state official of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) requested the meeting to try to resolve the misunderstanding between the state government and the local civil society groups.
Last week a coalition of the 14 civil society organizations in Western Bahr el Ghazal state which called themselves Western Bahr el Ghazal State Civil Society Organizations Network Forum petitioned the state government and called on the South Sudanese army to stop harassing citizens of the state.
The civil society organizations also signed the protest document calling for the withdrawal of the South Sudanese army from Bazia Jedid, Bagari Jedid and Jebel Kheer where government forces deployed as part of security crackdown on suspected rebels and night armed robbers.
But the state government reacted by arresting the representatives of the civil society organizations, put all the 14 of them in detention and directed to form a committee that would screen the activities of the organizations in the state with the aim to discontinue their activities.
Eight organizations however pleaded not guilty, explaining that they didn’t sign the petition paper and as a result got released on Wednesday after a week in the detention, but the other six organizations’ representatives have remained in the detention.
Among the freed organizations are the Women Development Groups, Kuajiena Community Development Program, Youth Organization for Community Development, Lulu Work Trust, Women Association Ngo- Bagari, Initiative for Agriculture and Development, Christian Action for Relief and Development and Women Organization for Food Basket.
Rabha Elis Bandas, head of the Women’s Development Group who was freed after the screening said although her organization’s logo was printed on the petition document that criticized security agencies, she was never consulted about the petition.
“I was in Juba for a conference on women peace [and] dialogue,” she said.
The state government also asked the freed 8 civil society groups who denied taking part in the petition to register again in the state or risk being shut down, while the fate of those who confirmed signing the petition remains unknown.
Governor Hassan who personally attended the Tuesday’s meeting with the civil societies, said a committee to be comprised of security officials, representatives from UNMISS and human rights bodies and “others” will determine what will happen to the other 6 civil society groups working in the state.
(ST)