Kuol Manyang Juuk, senior presidential advisor and NTC chair. [Photo PPU]

Speaking to SSBC, Kuol Manyang Juk, the Chairperson of the High-Level Ad hoc Committee and the National Transitional Committee, stated that the First Vice President is being held on suspicion of a crime.

“On the issue of Dr. Riek [First Vice President], I said that procedures are underway. It’s not a political detention, but a criminal one, and this is a normal procedure taken when somebody is under suspicion for a crime,” Kuol told the delegation.

He explained that the detention is connected with the deaths of soldiers and fighting in Nasir and other areas.

“So, it’s not political. It’s connected with the crime of the deaths of the soldiers in Nasir and the fighting in other areas,” he affirmed. “So, this is how we explained the situation to them [AU delegation].”

Kuol made this statement after civil society groups in Juba urged the visiting African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council to demand the release of all SPLM-IO detainees, including First Vice President Dr. Machar.

A coalition of civil society groups, religious leaders, and youth in Juba appealed to the visiting African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council on Sunday, August 10.

This isn’t the first time a senior government official has described First Vice President Dr. Machar’s house arrest as a criminal matter.

Both Vice President Taban Deng and government spokesperson Michael Makuei previously stated that Machar had violated the law and would be arraigned in court following an investigation.

However, these claims have been met with strong opposition. The Deputy Chairman of SPLM-IO, Oyet Nathaniel, the Deputy Chairman of the SPLM-IO, argues that the house arrest has violated the 2018 peace agreement and severely jeopardized South Sudan’s stability.

In a similar vein, several Western diplomats in Juba have continued to urge President Kiir to reverse the house arrest and for all party leaders to return to urgent dialogue to find a political solution.