By Deng Athian
Ambassador Garang Deng Aguer, Chairperson of the Aweil East Community Association, has expressed concern over the arrest of 59 youths from Jebel Iraq, an area known for gold mining activities. The individuals are currently being held at the Giada detention facility in Juba.
Ambassador Deng shared these remarks following a visit to the detention center, where he assessed the conditions of the detainees.
“I went to see their conditions and to understand the reason behind their arrest. I confirmed that 59 youths were apprehended, and 37 have so far been released,” he stated.
He also took the opportunity to dismiss ongoing rumours, clarifying that none of the detainees have been transferred to Nasir. He stressed that all individuals currently in custody remain in Juba.
Amb. Deng raised concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding the arrests, particularly highlighting that a significant number of the detained youths are from the Aweil community.
“I asked them why they were arrested, and they said it was alleged they were fighting among themselves. I then questioned with whom and why most of them are from Aweil,” he explained.
According to Ambassador Deng, the remaining detainees are primarily individuals whose parents or guardians have not yet presented themselves to the relevant authorities.
He noted that their release will likely depend on family engagement or further directives from the detaining authorities.
In response to the situation, Amb. Deng has called for calm within the Aweil community and assured members that community leaders are actively engaging with the relevant authorities to establish the facts surrounding the initial incident, monitor the welfare of those still in custody, and advocate for the possible release of the remaining detainees.
This publication has not independently verified the allegations of the arrests and was unable to obtain a comment from the Giada military detention facility at the time of publication.