By William Madouk
National Security Service (NSS) internal bureau calls for calm in the country, saying officials detained in Juba are linked to the violence in Upper Nile State.
David John Kumuri, NSS spokesperson and Director of Public Relations, stated on Saturday the institution is detaining several individuals with believed to be links to the clashes in Ulang and Nasir.
“We will not hesitate to take any decisive action to ensure the stability of our country. Therefore, the NSS urges the public to remain calm and trust in the authorities to handle the matter in accordance with the law,” Kumuri said.
He refuted claims that the arrests were “random” or “unlawful,” emphasizing that no one is above the law.
“In addition, these arrests are not targeting in nature; either along regional, geographical, ethnic or political connections,” Kumuri clarified.
Kumuri said NSS obtained intelligent reports that included substantial evidence from all contributing sources; which were firstly subjected to thorough analysis and fact-checking until were deemed accurate and thus amounted to the arrest and detention of the individuals.
“Undeniably, the NSS has arrested and detained several individuals believed to have verified links to the spiralling military confrontation that just unfolded within the towns of Nasir and Ulang and their surroundings,” he said.
The service didn’t disclose to the media the number of officials arrested but assured that the arrest would continue until the wrong elements were uprooted.
“The arrests ensued after the service operatives conducted extensive intelligent pursuit of appropriate information from any individual within or out of the country that had and has been fueling the ongoing battle in the mentioned areas,” he added.
He noted that this is a part and parcel of the NSS to protect Revitalized Agreement on Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan-R-ARCISS signed in 2018.
“Thus; any mandated task by the NSS should not be termed as random and unlawful by enemies of the state but rather professionalism and lawful demeanor of the institution should be considered,” he stated.
NSS spokesman said the move is piloted as a prerogative of the National Security Service as stipulated under sections 54 and 55 of the NSS Act, 2024 as amended in order to effect section 7 precisely.
These sections of the National Security Service Act mandate the institution to carryout arrests without a warrant.
NSS reiterated that South Sudan is a sovereign state just like any other nation on earth that has a vast right to halt any threat that undermines its national security.
“We want to assure the public that the NSS and other law enforcement agencies are fully aware of these developments and thus are taking all necessary but critical actions including arrest to address the situation and most importantly and it is in the best interest of the NSS to ensure that any act of abuse of powers and insubordination by any law enforcement officers is unacceptable and individuals involved will be held accountable for their action,” Kumuri said.
He highlighted that the safety and security of the nation and its citizens remains their top priority.
Last week, Minister of Information, Michael Makuei clarified that the officials were arrested because they were “in conflict with the law”
“They were arrested because they are in conflict with the law. There is no joke about that, because what we need is security. And as such if anybody is arrested, you must have been arrested because of a reason,” he said.
At this time, at least 6 people had been detained and held incommunicado by the security.
“If you are in conflict with the law, it means you are accused, you are in violation of the provision of the law. And once, you are in violation of provision of the law, you are automatically in conflict with the law and if you are in conflict with the law, you are arrested and taken to the court,” he added.
Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, Deputy Chief of Staff of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), and acting Chief of Staff of the SPLA-IO had been arrested on Tuesday.
Similarly, the minister of Petroleum, Puot Kang Chuol is also been arrested at his residence in the Thongpiny.
Those detained are; Gen. Koang Gatkuoth Kerjiok, Inspector General of the SSPDF – Gen. Wesley Welebe, Assistant Chief of Staff for Supply, Gen. Ashhab Khamis Fahal, Assistant Chief of Staff for Moral Orientation.
Others include Gen. Garang Ayii Akol, the Director General of Procurement at the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs, and a representative of the SSOA. All are under house arrest without security.
The detentions, however, take place against the backdrop of heightened political and security tensions, particularly in the three SPLM-IO-controlled states of Western Equatoria, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Upper Nile.
Analysts speculated that the detentions are due to recent unrest in these states, as well as the difficulty in carrying out the 2018 peace agreement.