Hon. Puot Kang, Deputy Head of the South Sudan Government Delegation to the Kenya-led peace talks, speaking to the media in Nairobi on Friday afternoon, December 14, 2024. - Credit: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio

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 White Army reportedly overran 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.

Minister Makuei did not specify charges against the arrested officers and Petroleum Minister.

“For a person who is in conflict with the law, this is a legal language, if you want more explanation, you can say, you are a suspected criminal.”

“It means that you are an accused, you are in violation of the provisions of the law, and once you are in violation of the provisions of the law, that you are automatically in conflict with the law, and you are in conflict with the law, you are arrested and taken to the court, this is the meaning of being in conflict with the law.”

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 2am.

“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.

Earlier, the Ambassadors of IGAD countries in South Sudan expressed deep concern over violence in Upper Nile State and appeals to the transitional government to address the insecurities.

In a joint statement, the envoys of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda said the situation threatens to undermine the hard-won gains achieved in the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement and exacerbates the already dire humanitarian situation in the country.

Religious leaders in Upper Nile State have also jointly called on the transitional government to take proactive measures to restore security and stability amid violence and tension in Nasir and Ulang counties.