Akot Lual released without charges
South Sudan presidenty Kiir envoy to Greater Pibor Administrative Area Akot Lual (Photo credit: Supplied)
July 23, 2020 (SSNN) — South Sudan presidential advisor on minority affairs, Akot Lual, has been released without charges after almost one week under national security service detention in the capital Juba, sources close to him said.
Lual was arrested on Saturday in Juba by the National Security Service (NSS) after local communities in Bor allegedly told a committee set up by president Kiir to investigate Jonglei violence that he was providing arms to the Murle.
Speaking to South Sudan News Now this afternoon, one senior government official closed to the presidential envoy said Akot was released today morning without being charged.
“Yes, that is true. Hon. Akot Lual has been released. He was released this morning without any charges. We don’t know why he was from the beginning arrested,” the official said on Juba from Juba.
Separately, another senior government official dismissed as untrue reports that he was arrested in connection to Jonglei violence.
The official said Lual was arrested for stating in one of his writings on social media that he helped spare some Nuer in December 2013 in Juba, which government sees as a testimony from a senior government official that Nuer were in fact killed in Juba.
“He was not arrested because of the Jonglei conflict. He was arrested because he said he helped Nuer during ‘Juba Massacre’ and this is not true. There was no Juba massacre actually,” the official stated.
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