South Sudan army accused of extorting civilians
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Eye Radio
South Sudanese lawyer Godfrey Victor accuses soldiers in Western Equatoria of arresting civilians, investigating cases and demanding money, encroaching on the duties of police and courts. He cites two parents detained for more than three weeks in Anzara, according to Eye Radio.
Military personnel are accused of arresting and detaining civilians, investigating criminal cases and demanding money to release suspects in Western Equatoria State, South Sudan. Human rights lawyer Godfrey Victor made the allegations during a mission to assess the human rights situation and provide legal aid to civilians, Eye Radio reports.
In Anzara, two parents were allegedly detained for more than three weeks by the army after their children fled; the children themselves had been arrested in a theft case. According to Godfrey Victor, the two adults were not suspected of committing the theft, but each parent was allegedly asked to pay four million South Sudanese pounds for release. They were eventually released after the intervention of several actors, with a warning that they could be arrested again if they did not pay.
The lawyer also accuses a joint operation based at the Masia police station of investigating crimes, arresting suspects, granting bail and conducting procedures resembling trials. He is asking the authorities in Western Equatoria to relocate the operation so that the police alone can exercise their legal powers.
