The local authorities in Jonglei State’s Nyirol County said they have released four politicians and elders who were detained for allegedly inciting a group of local youth to hold violent protests last week.
Violent protests erupted in the Nyirol County headquarters in Langkien town last Sunday night and continued the following day, with a protesting local youth group invading the town’s main airstrip to block the county commissioner’s return. At the time, the angry youth said they were protesting Commissioner James Bol Makuey’s alleged harassment of critics.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Biel Jiek Lual, the county Information director, said the four regained their freedom after days of investigations and that they were now free to exercise their rights.
“They were released last Thursday evening after investigations in which they admitted that they were responsible for inciting the youth to protest against the commissioner,” he said.
Jiek explained that the decision to have them released was necessary to maintain peace in the town.
“There was no condition for their release. They are free to exercise their rights except that they should not incite their youth again,” he stated. “Those youth are armed and they may decide to come back to have their people released forcibly. So, for the sake of peace, it was decided that the detainees be released.”
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