Jonglei activist decries poor condition in detention

By Manyuon Mayen Manyuon, Juba

The detained Jonglei activist is decrying poor condition in custody as he termed his detention as “humiliation and intimidation”.

Mr. David Garang Goch was arrested on Thursday for questioning the sale of President Kiir’s donated food aid meant for floods affected victims.

President Kiir donated the food in April during his visit to Bor but some of the donated food were allegedly found being sold in the market, something that Garang questioned and is suspected to have led to his arrest.

“My arrest is an intimidation and humiliation. I shouldn’t be arrested and placed in a latrine where the sewage has been running in and the whole room is occupied by sewage water,” he said in an interview with Juba Echo on Friday evening while in detention.

According to Mr. Garang, the arrest was a humiliation which shouldn’t be tolerated in the country.

“Why did we fight for 21 years? We fought to be free from these humiliations. We could blame Arabs for humiliations those days but what are we doing to ourselves now,” he stated.

The activist is discontented with what the State government has done to him.

“I am now kept at the latrine and the latrine is very dirty, full of faces and accumulated urines,” Mr. Garang revealed.

The charges being leveled against Mr. Garang by Jonglei State government include deformation and media interviews though South Sudan Constitution guarantees Freedom of expression.   

“They are saying that I have defamed the state government on the issue of food being sold in the market and talking on social media, but it is clear the food is being sold in the market. Why are we denying it? He questioned.  

“The food is in the market. It has been also distributed to the State ministries and what was given to the civil population was not even enough,” he disclosed.

When contacted for comment, Mr. Denay Jock Chagor, the Jonglei State Governor said he wasn’t aware about the activist’s case from the beginning.

He however promised to release Mr. Garang since he is now aware.