Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A civil society activist in Lakes State is calling for the reinstatement of Deng Mario Deng, the Commissioner of Cueibet County, following his release from a month-long detention.
Deng was suspended and arrested in April 2025 by security forces in Rumbek for allegedly defying directives.
Laat Kon Ater, Coordinator for the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) in Lakes State, welcomed Commissioner Deng’s release.
He emphasized the urgent need for Deng to return to his duties, highlighting the county’s prolonged vacancy and numerous pressing issues that require immediate government attention.
“We welcome this release and we are happy that he is being released and is now free,” Kon stated.
He added that the precise reasons behind Deng’s detention, whether politically motivated or otherwise, remain unclear.
“As civil society, we are calling for his reinstatement. Let him go back to his work because the county has been in a state for a long time, and there are a lot of issues that need the attention of the government to rescue the situation.”
Details of Detention and Commissioner’s Statement
Deng Mario Deng, a member of the SPLM-IO, was reportedly detained by national security services under the orders of the state governor.
Following his release, Commissioner Deng confirmed that all his personal belongings, including his car and phone, were returned to him.
He described the prison conditions as hygienic and stated that he had been held alone throughout his detention.
Speaking to Eye Radio, Deng acknowledged the lack of clarity regarding his arrest.
“I am finally released, and all my belongings are given back… I cannot tell the reason, maybe social, maybe administrative, or maybe political. So, I cannot tell the reason for my detention was not yet known,” he said.
He expressed hope for future clarification: “I will tell exactly what went wrong when I heard the charges against me that led to detention and suspension.”
Despite the unexplained detention, Deng emphasised that he holds no grievances against the governor. “To the public, I am not holding any grievances with the governor. I still respect him as an elder, respect him as my supervisor,” he affirmed.
He expressed a desire to understand the situation directly from the governor, stating, “I will be happy if he calls me to tell me exactly what went wrong so that any mistake I made will also teach me in the future, as the saying goes, ‘mistake is another teacher.’”
The acting Minister of Information declined to comment on the Commissioner’s release.
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