South Sudan’s National Minister of Peacebuilding, Stephen Par Kuol, has been released a day after his arrest by national security operatives, according to an official statement on Friday.
Puok Both Baluang, the acting press secretary in the office of First Vice President Riek Machar, confirmed the release in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“Hon. Stephen Par Kuol, the National Minister of Peacebuilding, who was unlawfully detained yesterday along with a staff member from his office by national security, was released this morning at 05:00 am,” Baluang announced.
Arrest Linked to Upper Nile Clashes
The minister’s detention came amid rising tensions in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, where government forces have been engaged in heavy fighting with the White Army, a local armed youth group.
Several senior SPLM-IO officials and military officers have also been detained in connection with the violence in Nasir, which is now under White Army control. Among them are:
- Puot Kang Chuol, Petroleum Minister
- Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, Co-chair of the Joint Defense Board (JDB) and Acting Chief of Staff of the SPLA-IO
Government: Arrests Due to Legal Violations
Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth defended the arrests, saying they were lawful actions.
“If anybody is arrested, it is for a reason. If you are in conflict with the law, it means you are accused of violating its provisions,” Makuei told reporters on Thursday.
International and Regional Calls for Restraint
The escalating violence in Upper Nile State has sparked concern from international and regional actors.
- Western embassies and the European Union (EU) condemned the renewed hostilities, urging all parties to de-escalate.
- IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyeh called on all sides to show maximum restraint, recommit to the peace agreement, and pursue dialogue and reconciliation as the only sustainable path forward.
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