Amb. Wol Mayar Director of Media and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation speaking during a Press Conference in Juba on Friday, 12th July 2024. Photo Credit: Charles Wote/Eye Radio.

The South Sudan government has condemned foreign missions for criticizing the passing of the National Security Act 2014 Amendment Bill 2023 which gives the agency power to arrest without warrant.

On Wednesday, the Embassies of Western countries in South Sudan expressed grave concerns over the move by the national parliament to pass a legislation that gives authority to the NSS to arrest and detain without warrants.

The Embassies of Canada, European Union, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, United States, the UN Human Rights said enactment of the bill to the law will be regrettable at any time.

They said that the bill will constitute a significant way away from opening civic and political space in the South Sudan as the country prepare for its first ever democratic election in December this year.

But in a two-page document issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday noon, the government described the statement by Western Embassies in Juba as an interference in the internal affairs of South Sudan.

Amb. Wol Mayar, the Director of Media and Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, accused the diplomatic missions of inciting the public against authorities.

“The press statements that appeared on social media constitute a serious interference in the internal affairs of….. South Sudan, and is therefore viewed as unjustified direct interference in matters of national concern that seems to be a blatant move,” said Mayar.

“This is designed to undermine and incite the public opinion in the country against the authorities which chose a clear intention to undermine the government posing a direct threat to the National Security of the Republic of South Sudan.”

Mr. Mayar said it “strongly” condemns the joint statement and called on Western embassies to refrain from issuing such statements.

“The ministry….. calls upon the missions, Consular Missions, International and Regional organization to adhere to the normal norms of conducting diplomatic practices and desist from deliberate involvement in issuing such unfriendly statement and hostile positions.”

– Mounting concerns –

On 12th July, President Kiir received the controversial NSS bill from the Speaker of Parliament Jemma Nunu Kumba for accession and signing into law amid mounting calls for him to reject it.

The opposition groups in the Tumaini Initiative, negotiating peace under Kenyan mediation with the transitional government, declared on 8th July that they will not sign any agreement with the R-TGONU until the bill is revoked.

They said the NSS must be reconstituted into a civilian National Intelligence Service with the mandate to gather intelligence without powers of arrest, detention, and interference in the political processes.

The SPLM-In Opposition also called on President Kiir to uphold the principal’s decision to repeal the provision allowing arrest without a warrant in the NSS bill and urged him not to approve it.

Further, the Human Rights Watch appealed to the President on 4th July, to reject the draconian legislation.

Laetitia Bader, the Deputy Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, said the South Sudan parliament was expected to omit the clause used as justification for alleged arbitrary arrests and detention.

According to him, the security bill would further undermine human rights and entrench the agency’s longstanding abuses in the country. He stated that the security service has exercised these powers without meaningful judicial or legislative oversight, and its agents are rarely punished for abuses.

It has repeatedly called on the South Sudanese authorities to limit NSS powers to intelligence gathering, as envisioned by the Transitional Constitution of 2011, which mandates the agency to focus on information gathering, and analysis and to advise the relevant authorities.