Hon. Juma Zachariah Deng, representing Jur River in National Parliament - Courtesy

A national lawmaker has renewed his call for the authorities to release three youths who have been arbitrarily arrested for protesting the name of the new Jur River Bridge.
This arrest came after petitioning Western Bahr el Ghazal state parliament over the alleged name of the new Jur River Bridge.

Early this month, Luo Youth Association’s Chairperson said his deputy Santino Madut was arrested on the orders of state assembly speaker Mohamed Abakar Mohameden.

Madut and three others namely Urbano Ulum Upiou, James Agany Wol and Paulino Uliny Ajongo were accused of allegedly attacking the Speaker’s residence, a claim the youth denied.

Commenting on the incident, national lawmaker Juma Zachariah Deng described the arrest as disturbing news.

Zachariah is urging the authorities in Western Bahr el Ghazal state to release the detainees and allow a legal process to be done.

“We have been receiving disturbing news that some youth from Jur River have been detained in the state, and this behaviour is not good. We have those of Urbano Ulum Opeio and James Nyanguel they were arrested, and they have re-detained Madut Madut,” said Juma.

“I am calling upon the state authorities to release those youth and Madut Madut in the fastest time, and for the rest of the legal process to be done accordingly through the official channels,” he said.

At the weekend, Western Bahr el Ghazal leaders formed a committee comprising of five members to address the dispute over the name of the new Jur River Bridge in the state.

The committee is headed by the deputy speaker of the Revitalized Transitional National Legislature Kornilo Kon and deputized by lawmaker Mark Nyapuoch.