Undersecretary in the Ministry of Justice, Isaac Gabriel Awow. (Photo: Sudans Post).

South Sudan government has confirmed receiving a notification from the East Africa Court of Justice requesting the Ministry of Justice to respond to a lawsuit over the “illegal detention” of Kalisto Lado.

On 16th April 2024, the regional tribunal gave Juba a time frame to respond to the lawsuit regarding the arbitrary detention of Mr Kalisto, who was handpicked by security personnel on March 30, 2024.

Since then, neither has the former Juba mayor been handed over to the police nor is his whereabouts known.

In the notification addressed to South Sudan’s attorney general, the EACJ required a response within 45 days.

Pan African Law Chamber, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the complainant and Kalisto’s wife Ann Grace Juan, said the arrest of the former mayor violated the law of the country and the region.

The Juba-based law firm had first given the government a 24-hour ultimatum to release the detainee unconditionally or produce him before a court of law, and that request was snubbed.

Dr. Isaac Gabriel Awow, the Undersecretary Ministry of Justice, told  Eye Radio on Thursday that the government received the EACJ notification.

“Yes, we received notification from the East Africa Court of Justice as the Attorney General which the Ministry of Justice on the 16^th of April. This notification was filed by Ann Grace as the applicant and the respondent is the Attorney General,” Awow told Eye Radio.

He added that the ministry is preparing to respond to the court within the time frame.

“We were requested by the court to respond within 45 days. We are preparing ourselves to respond to the court within these 24 days.”

The complainants previously said they have learned about the deterioration of Kalisto’s health in detention while he was being kept incommunicado and without access to a doctor at the National Security Headquarters in Juba.

The NSS agency, which was contacted severally by Eye Radio, has since declined to make an official comment confirming or denying that it is holding the former mayor.