April 23, 2020 (Nyamilepedia) — South Sudan’s notorious national security service is planning to build a new detention facility near President Salva Kiir’s farm in Luri, a national security officer said Thursday.
The officer who spoke to Nyamilepedia on condition of anonymity said the Internal Security Bureau (ISB) at the National Security Service (NSS) decided to build another facility because the current two facilities, one inside the headquarters in Jebel and other on the Nile Chroniche were not enough.
“The directorate of the Internal Security Bureau led by General Akol Koor decided to build another detention facility in LurI because the current facilities are not enough,” he said.
“The headquarters will only be used as offices and will not including detention cells,” he added.
It is not clear why the security service is planning to build more facilities at a time when the parties to the revitalized peace agreement are implementing the revitalized peace agreement.
Because of its arbitrary arrests and detentions, the security service was urged in February by the Human Rights Watch to urgently enact reforms to end arbitrary detention and abuse of detainees.
“South Sudan’s national security agency has for years carried out a full-blown assault on critics of the government and political opponents in brazen disregard for basic rights,” Jehanne Henry, associate Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said at the time.
“With the formation of a unity government, South Sudan’s leaders should now show they are serious about ending these abuses and holding those responsible to account.”
