December 10th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – The United States has sanctioned five South Sudanese individuals over the killing of two opposition officials in January 2017.
Dong Samuel Luak, a renowned South Sudanese human rights lawyer, and Aggrey Idri Ezbon, a senior member of the main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, were arrested in Kenya in January 2017 and deported to South Sudan.
In May this year, the United Nations said in a report said that Aggrey and Dong were likely executed by National Security Service (NSS) agents in January 2017.
The two men had briefly appeared at the NSS general headquarters, also known as Blue House, in Juba prior to their killing, according to several eye witnesses.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the United States Treasury said it was “taking action against five individuals responsible for the abduction and likely murder of two human rights activists in 2017.”
The sanctions which includes travel ban and asset freeze affects Abu Stephen Thiongkol, Malual Dhal Wuorwel, Michael Kuajien, John Tap Lam and Angelo Kuot Garang, all of whom have been identified as leaders of entities having direct links or engagements in the killing of the two opposition members.
Beside participation in Dong and Aggrey’s killing, Muorwel, “has been identified as being the commander of forces who detained and assaulted three international monitors in December of 2018.”
The US said Lam and Kuajien were in Kenya and coordinated the abduction of Dong and Aggrey.
Meanwhile “Garang has been identified as being involved in the killing of Dong and Aggrey, as well as of other individuals.”
“As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the individuals named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other designated persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.
“Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or otherwise exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.”
