October 8th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – No single political detainee have been released by the South Sudan government since President Salva Kiir ordered to release prisoners of war and political detainees as per the peace deal signed in Addis Ababa last month.
In June 2018, South Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayardiit and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon signed a permanent ceasefire agreement in the Sudanese capital Khartoum and agreed to release all the political detainees and prisoners of war.
Late last month, in line with the implementation of the permanent ceasefire agreement signed in June and the September agreement signed in Addis Ababa, President Salva Kiir Mayardiit ordered the release of all prisoners of war and political detainees.
However, almost two weeks since the issuance of the Presidential order on the release of the two groups, the prisoners of war and the political detainees, there has not been implementation made as per the Presidential directives.
Sources in Juba told the Nyamilepedia that the Presidential directive for the release of the detainees has not been implemented by the respective security organs and as such no single detainee have been released in compliance of the order.
“No single detainee has been released after President Kiir issued a Presidential Degree to release all the prisoners of war and political detainees currently under government detention facilities across the country,” a security source familiar with the issue told the Nyamilepedia on the condition of anonymity on Monday.
The same source wondered if it is the security apparatuses delaying the implementaion of the Presidential order or it is the President himself who has backtrack on his intention to release the detainees saying this will harm the reputation of the government from the international community over the commitment to the ceasefire agreement and the implementaion of the peace deal signed in September in Addis Ababa.
“I don’t know whether it is the security forces who are not implementing the presidential order to release the prisoners of war and the political detainees or its the President who is backtrracking on his pledge to release the detainees,” the source said.
“I think this will badlt harm the government because it will affect the government’s reputation before the international community and they (International Community) will question the government commitment to the ceasefire agreement signed in June and the implementation of the revitalized peace deal signed in September in Ethiopia,” the source added.
South Sudan Prisoners being detained at the national security headquarters in Juba yesterday disarmed soldiers on guards during the early hours of Sunday and took control of the national security facility demanding immediate release as per Presidential directives for the release of the political detainees.
