South Sudan arrests hundreds amid civil unrest

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
3/8/2013
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Innocent people, entire families reported detained.

South Sudan is the world's newest country, and it is also one of the most troubled. Comprised of ten states, there are active rebellions in nine. The government is responding with crackdowns in which innocent civilians are murdered and arrested in violation of their most basic rights.

Hundreds of people have been arrested and detained without the knowledge of what they have done wrong, all part of government intimidation amidst civil unrest.

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JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN (Catholic Online) - Last December, the troubles in Sudan came dramatically to light when uniformed men fired on unarmed protesters killing 10. In the wake of those shootings there followed arrests, sometimes of entire families when government officers could not locate the suspects they sought.

The problem is that the people are often guilty of nothing more than voicing a critical opinion of the government. The United Nations and Amnesty International have documented scores of human rights violations, yet the government continues to deny any wrongdoing.

The stories of abuse are being widely reported in the media. In late February, a member of the United Nations staff in South Sudan was also arrested, accused of involvement in the protest.

Other UN officers have been arrested. Meanwhile the president, Salvas Kiir, has called on all government agencies to permit the UN to conduct its work without interference. It is unclear if he is a party to much of the violence and troubles faced by the people, or if he simply lacks the power to control his governors.

Human Rights Watch says that the national security service is also responsible for sores of rights violations, mostly including the arrest and indefinite detention of people. Several people remain detained without knowledge of the charges against them and without being handed over to the appropriate authorities for processing.

There are several documented cases of agencies that do not legally have the power to arrest making arrests. Human Rights Watch has said this could be because these agencies are unaware they have limited power and are not permitted to detain people.

The reality is these agencies and those with power don't care. There is little regard for individual rights in the country which is the fuel feeding the nine separate rebellions across the new country.

As entire families are swept up in the chaos of corrupt injustice, the nation continues to flounder in humanitarian disaster. Of course, the world is showing little concern, as long as the strategic supplies of oil keep flowing.

� 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: South Sudan, arrests, detention, crackdown, government, civil war

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1 - 1 of 1 Comments

John Ashworth
2 months ago
Your article on South Sudan is unbalanced and presents an overly negative view of South Sudan. For a Catholic news outlet it seems strange to me that you have not cited any South Sudanese Church sources in your article. The last two paragraphs in particular make it look like an opinion piece rather than news. While there is some truth in some of the facts that you have published, they are part of a complex reality which needs to be explained and nuanced, which you completely fail to do. I wouldn't say there are "active rebellions" in nine states. There are only three of four groups that could really be described as "rebels", and they are concentrated in three states (Upper Nile, Unity and Jonglei) and would collapse instantly if they were not being supported by Khartoum. Small-scale violence in other states does not constitute "rebellion". You might want to proof-read the name of the president. It is Salva, not Salvas. All in all, a very poor piece of journalism and a very poor choice to publish it.

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