October 26th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s main armed opposition, SPLM-IO led by former First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon has welcomed the release of five political detainees including its Kapoeta governor who was deport from Kenya in 2017.
South Sudan government on Thursday announced the release of five political detainees who has been accused of supporting opposition groups operating in the counary.
Former ex-spokesman of opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny who has been sentenced to death in February has as well as prominent opposition figures, Dong Samuel Luak and Aggrey Iddri were not among the released.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the SPLM-IO director of Information Puok Both Baluang said they welcomes the release of political detainees by the government in Juba.
“The SPLM/A (IO) would like to welcome the decision by the Government of South Sudan to release Five (5) Political Detainees, among them was the abductee Cde Marko Lokidor Lochapio, Governor of Kapoeta State in the SPLM/A (IO) who had been abducted while in Kakuma refugees Camp in Kenya, on 29/12/2017,” Baluang said in the statement seen by the Nyamilepedia.
he said the group is concerned about the safety of their comrades in Juba given what he said was unwilling by the government to release all the detainees in line with revitalized peace deal.
“As we welcome the release of the 4 Political Detainees and Cde Lochapio, we are deeply concerned about their safety in Juba, over the fact that the arrangements were not inconsistent with the R-ARCSS, precisely Article (2.1.6),” the statement partly read.
The statement further urged the government to release all the detainees to demonstrate commitment to the Permanent ceasefire agreement and the final peace deal signed in AddisAbaba last month.
“The SPLM/A (IO) would like to urge the Government of South Sudan to demonstrate their adherence to the R-ARCSS and release all Prisoners of War and the remaining Political Prisoners, Detainees and abductees notably; Cde James Gatdet Dak, Cde Aggrey Idri and Cde Dong Samuel Luak,” he said.
