By Yang Ater Yang.
Police authorities in Lakes state are holding a member of the organized forces for interrogation over the beating of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) secretary in Yirol West County.
The incident reportedly occurred during a market patrol by organized forces in Yirol West County on Monday.
The executive director of Yirol West County, Mabor Awer condemned beating of the SPLM county secretary in Yirol West market.
He said the soldier who beat the SPLM Yirol West county secretary has been arrested and the investigation is ongoing in Yirol West county Police station.
“I was the one who ordered organized forces to do patrolling in Yirol West county market and for the road to be open,” Awer said.
But he said “when soldiers arrived in the market they started to chase who could not listen to the orders to evacuate the place which was congested, and this is where soldiers had a misunderstanding with one of the local vendors in the market and this is when the SPLM Yirol West county secretary intervened, and unfortunately he ended up being beaten by a soldier because he was not recognized”, he said.
The soldier who hit the SPLM county secretary with a stick at the back is now undergoing investigation in Yirol West county police custody.
“We had called the SPLM Yirol West County secretary who was beaten by soldiers for a meeting and we apologized for him on what happened, but we have arrested a soldier who acted out of the orders given to them to open the congested roads in Yirol market,” Awer lamented.
“The SPLM Yirol West County (secretary) is a young responsible person who could stand behind his people whenever he sees anything not going well, and that’s why he had a misunderstanding with organized forces because the soldiers could not recognize him. So, the soldier who have beaten him, is under investigation in police custody,” he explained.
The county executive director however said the matter is being resolved and the SPLM secretary had asked the authority to release the soldier since there was no any intention related to his beating.