The United Nations is for the first calling on the government of South Sudan (GOSS) to release the political prisoners arrested following the outbreak of armed conflict in Juba on December 15th 2013.
In a statement, the UN Security Council “requested the Government of the Republic of South Sudan, and in particular President Kiir, to release all political leaders currently detained, in order to create an environment conducive to a successful dialogue.”
The development comes just a day after the US Department of State agreed that the senior politicians imprisoned in Juba should be immediately set free.
“The United States strongly believes that the political prisoners currently being held in Juba must be released," Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the assistant secretary of state for Africa, told a Senate committee in Washington on Thursday.The release of the politicians has been the main obstacle to securing a ceasefire between the two warring factions.
However GOSS has firmly stuck to its position that it will not release the detainees, saying such move would be against the constitution and laws of the country. President Kirr still claims that the 13 were part of an organized coup.
Conversely, his political and now military opponent, former Vice President Riak Machar has remained steadfast in his view that the fighting resulted when President Kiir ordered the entire Presidential Guard unit (SPLA Tiger Division) disarmed, only to attempt to rearm the Dinka faction of the Presidential Guards hours later. This view has been endorsed by other well-placed political and military sources.
Earlier this week the U.S State Department openly disputed the claim by GOSS that the fighting was the result of a coup attempt.
“We’ve not seen any evidence that this was a coup attempt, but it certainly was the result of a huge political rift between Riek Machar and the president,” said assistant secretary of state for Africa Linda Thomas-Greenfield.Thirteen politicians were arrested shortly after the outbreak of internal fighting between various factions of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA), however, two have since been released.
President Kiir had promised to release eight of the detainees but has since reneged.The individuals who remain in prison are: Deng Alor, former minister of cabinet affairs, Pagan Amum, former SPLM secretary general, Cirino Iteng, former minister of culture, Madut Biar Yel, former minister for telecommunication and postal services, Oyai Deng Ajak, former minister for national security in the office of the president, Majak D’ Agoot, former deputy minister of defence, Chol Tong Magay, former governor of Lakes state, Ezekiel Gatkuoth Lul, former ambassador to the United States, John Luk Jok, former justice minister, Kosti Manibe, former minister of finance, Gier Chuang Aluong, former minister of roads and bridges.
The conflict has since taken on a very tribal dimension with both sides accused of atrocities including targeted killings of both combatants and civilians based on their ethnicity, with the conflict spreading across much of the country.