South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS) arrested Tot Jock Chieng, the Minister of General Education for Unity State, at Juba Airport on Friday as he attempted to board a UN aircraft bound for Bentiu.
Chieng, a Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) official, was traveling with Unity State’s Deputy Governor Tor Tungwar Kueiguong when NSS agents blocked the delegation from boarding. While the deputy governor was ordered to return home, Chieng was detained and taken to an undisclosed location.
SPLM-IO Condemns Arrest
Dhoal Koryom Linding, SPLM-IO’s Unity State Chairperson of Information, confirmed the arrest, denouncing it as unjustified and lacking transparency.
“Our member was arrested without explanation and taken to an unknown location,” Koryom told Radio Tamazuj, calling the move a continuation of targeted detentions against SPLM-IO officials.
A statement from the Office of First Vice President Riek Machar also condemned the arrest, highlighting NSS’s increasing crackdown on opposition figures.
“This incident represents a continuation of the NSS’s pattern of detaining constitutional post-holders and senior officials of the SPLM/A-IO,” the statement read.
Rising Political and Security Tensions
Chieng’s arrest comes amid escalating tensions between the government of President Salva Kiir and opposition forces led by Riek Machar.
In recent months, clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and SPLM-IO fighters in Nasir County have heightened instability. The conflict escalated after Kiir dismissed several SPLM-IO officials in February, leading to a surge in violence.
On March 4, armed SPLA-IO forces seized a military base in Nasir, and just days later, a UN helicopter evacuating SSPDF soldiers came under fire, killing Major General Majur Dak and a UN crew member.
Following the attack, SSPDF deployed troops near Machar’s residence in Juba, and several SPLM-IO officials, including the deputy army chief and a national minister, were detained.
SPLM-IO leaders are demanding Chieng’s immediate release and calling for respect for political rights and the rule of law. Meanwhile, government spokesperson Michael Makuei has not yet commented on the arrest.
