Deputy Governor Dr. Isaiah Akol Mathiang. (Photo: Yang Ater Yang).

Lakes State Deputy Governor Dr. Isaiah Akol Mathiang, who was arrested on Monday following his condemnation of the aerial bombing of Nasir, will be taken to court for publishing inciting comment, the state’s acting information minister said.

Dr. Akol, an SPLM-IO-appointed official, was arrested after he held a press statement in Rumbek and raised several concerns including what he called the “aerial bombardment of civilians” in several counties in southern Upper Nile State.

This follows violent clashes in Nasir on March 4 between SSPDF and heavily armed local youths, who overran an army base in Nasir County and later killed an army commander and a UN crew member attempting to evacuate surrounded soldiers.

Dr. Akol also condemned the detention of senior SPLM/A-IO government officials and officers in Juba and travel restriction for its members, and the “unilateral removal” of the party officials.

He was then arrested allegedly by the National Security Service (NSS) together with state lawmaker Ater Akolde, the Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries Gai Maghok, and the state Chairperson of SPLM-IO Youth League Mandela Maciek.

In an interview with Eye Radio, Lakes Acting Minister of Information William Koji, confirmed the detention of the deputy governor by security apparatus pending an investigation.

“He has been detained by security apparatus and it is the responsibility of the security to take care of him where he may be because he has to go through investigation,” Koji said.

“He has to be taken to the court of law for prosecution because he was encouraging violence to continue in the country or he was trying also to initiate violence in Lakes state.”

Minister Koji did not specify which statement in the deputy governor’s press conference was deemed to incite violence.

“The government and the community as a whole cannot tolerate that and the law itself cannot encourage that to be happening all the time. South Sudanese are tired of conflict at all levels. We appreciate the President of appointing Governor Rin. And of course, this state is for peace for the last four years.”

“This state has been in conflict for ten years and enough is enough. And we don’t encourage any member of this state to initiate conflict intentionally for the people of Lakes.”

In a press statement, Pal Mai Deng, the SPLM-IO condemned what he called arbitrary detention of the state officials, which he considered as broader crackdown on SPLM/A-IO by the NSS.

Mai urged the security agency to release all the detained political and military officials as well as the reopening of the SPLM-IO offices and headquarters in Rumbek.