15/06/2025
CUEIBET COMMISSIONER RELEASED AFTER OVER A MONTH IN DETENTION
June 13, 2025 RUMBEK
The commissioner of Cueibet County, Deng Mario Deng, representing the opposition SPLM-IO party, has been released after more than a month in detention at a national security facility in Rumbek.
Deng was detained on the orders of Lakes State Governor Rin Tueny Mabor and was released Tuesday.
The National Security Service Act empowers officers to arrest and detain, without a warrant, any person suspected of committing an offence against the State.
Although the transitional constitution requires that any detainee be brought before a judge within 24 hours, this rarely happens.
Commissioner Deng Mario told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that the governor authorized his release but that he remains under partial restrictions.
“I am finally released, and all my belongings, including my devices and car, have been returned to me,” Deng said. He added that he was held in a hygienic facility and was kept outdoors before his release.
The reason for his detention remains unclear. “It could be social, administrative or political. I cannot really tell,” Deng said. “The governor knows when to call me and explain what went wrong.”
Deng, who was detained from May 23 to June 8, thanked the governor for his release but cautioned against speculation. “Whoever has a problem with the governor should not connect my detention to him,” he said. “I still respect him as my supervisor.”
He denied holding any grievances and said no one had lobbied for his release, though he acknowledged possible public pressure.
Daniel Laat Kon, a coordinator for the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization in Lakes State, welcomed Deng’s release but called for his reinstatement.
“We do not know if his detention was politically motivated,” Kon said. “The county has been vacant for too long, and many issues require the commissioner's attention".
Last month, at least seven people were killed and nine wounded in clashes over cattle theft in Cueibet between members of the Panyar and Waat sections of the Gok community. Observers and civil society groups attributed the violence to a leadership vacuum in the area.
