Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol. |Courtesy.

The IGAD Heads of State Summit has called for the immediate release of detained SPLM/A-IO officials, unless there is credible evidence for legal action, which should be carried out transparently and according to due process.

The call was made by IGAD Heads of State following a virtual 43rd Extraordinary Summit on South Sudan, chaired by Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, the current IGAD chair, on March 12, 2025.

The leaders called for the immediate release of detained officials, unless credible evidence warrants legal proceedings, which should be conducted transparently and in accordance with due process.

“(We) urged for the immediate release of detained officials, unless credible evidence warrants legal proceedings conducted transparently and in accordance with due process;

Information Minister and Government Spokesperson Michael Makuei has confirmed the arrests of some senior SPLM-IO officials and officers including Petroleum Minister Puot Kang for allegedly being in conflict with the law.

Their arrests on Tuesday came hours after the White Army reportedly overran the SSPDF garrison in Nasir county, Upper Nile State in the morning hours.

“They were arrested because they are in conflict with the law, yes, there is no joke about that, because what we need is security and as such, if anybody is arrested you must have been arrested because of a reason,” Makuei said.

On their part, SPLM-IO released a statement confirming the “arbitrary and unlawful arrest” of Deputy Chief of Defense Force and Acting SPLA-IO Chief of Staff Gen. Duop Lam and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang at 2 am.

“We call upon the SPLM-IG to release Hon. Puot Kang and Gen. Duop Lam from prison and uphold the agreement. I also appeal to peace partners to intervene to prevent South Sudan from descending into violence,” said Pal Mai Deng, the opposition group’s spokesperson.

On Wednesday, March 12, SPLM-IO Spokesperson Pal Mai confirmed the detention of Hon. Gatwech Lam Puoch, a member of the R-TNLA representing Nasir Constituency, on March 11.

He explained that Hon. Gatwech was arrested while traveling from his residence in Tongpiny to Parliament.

In a separate development, the SPLM-IO also reported the release of Minister of Peacebuilding, Stephen Phar Kuol, who had been arrested on Thursday, March 6, 2025.

Puok Both Baluang – Acting Press Secretary in the Office of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar – made the announcement.

He says Parh, who is also Secretary General of the National Transitional Committee (NTC), was released from detention hours after being arrested by security agents in Juba.

Both disclosed that three other staff of the peacebuilding ministry were also arrested with the minister.

He said Minister Phar was released on Friday, March 7, 2025, while security personnel did not mention the reason for his brief arrest. He added that the three staff are still under detention.