Members of the SPLM in Opposition who have been arrested in Juba were causing havoc at the airport, a senior official has said.

The Minister of Information, Michael Makuei Lueth, said the individuals became difficult to control on Tuesday during the arrival of their deputy chairman, General Ladu Gore.

He said the government arrested the individuals as part of its duty to protect all the citizens.

“There are people who are arrested because they were causing havoc at the airport. What we know is that these are people who are out to cause havoc and insecurity at the reception of Alfred Ladu Gore at the airport,” Micheal Makuei told Eye Radio.

“The security tried to control them. They became uncontrollable and they had to arrest them,” Mr Makuei said.

“The government of South Sudan is under duty, it is under duty to ensure that the IOs, whoever comes, are well protected.”

Mr Makuei could not specify the number of those under detention, but the spokesperson of the SPLM-IO advance team in Juba, William Ezekiel, said the number has reached 20.

Mr Ezekiel told Eye Radio that 16 were arrested on Tuesday, before the arriving of General Ladu Gore, while four others were arrested on Wednesday.

He told Eye Radio that the members are being held without charges.

“There has been no information about whether they will be released or not, and when,” Mr Ezekiel told Eye Radio.

“We have been in contact with them (security officials), but they have been telling us that they are still investigating [them], and they will leave them soon, soon could be tomorrow, could be a week, and could be a month or a year. No charges opened,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Civil Society Alliance says it is investigating the matter.

“So we are still looking into these issues, we are investigating, we are engaging the government … to know why they were arrested and to know who they are,” said Akouch Ajang, the Chairperson of the alliance, at a press conference in Juba.