By Hou Akot Hou
Security organs have detained two youths over Dr. Bol Mel’s release. The incident happened on Tuesday on the occasion of the reception of the head of state in Northern Bahr El Gazal state’s capital, Aweil Town.
The youth were demanding the release of political detainees, including Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel.
On Tuesday morning, as the mammoth crowd was queuing at the highway and marching on the streets of Aweil Town from highways in Suk-Al-Sahabi linking Aweil East to Aweil Freedom Square, the youths who were holding the banners demanding the release of the detainees, including Benjamin Bol Mel, were whisked away by the security organs.
One of the youth, Ajith Deng Ajith, is being detained at Mathiang Military Intelligence’s headquarters in Aweil Town.
He told this publication on Wednesday that he was taken while marching with a poster with “Release Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel” written on it and some writing that reads, “Where is Bol Bel?”
Deng said he was held around 11:00 am and taken to the Mathiang military detention facility, and was kept without any possessions, such as a phone.
“I was being held here at Mathiang, where I am still put under the tree, but they didn’t abuse me. Only that they took away the phones from me, and in the evening on Tuesday, they allowed me to go to my house in Mathiang and told me to report back this morning, which I did,” he revealed.
Ajith still requests that the head of state heed their call for the political detainees’ pardon.
“I am appealing to the president to release the political opponents, including those with dissenting voices, whom we have never known. But we are primarily calling for Bol Mel’s pardon,” he stated.
He stated that the investigators who have been asking him get only one reply from him: to give freedom to the man, who is referred to as being humiliated in the midst of the rest.
“I told the investigator, if you are being held incommunicado for a long period without charges brought against you, what do you think your relatives and those knowing you can know? They can ask for forgiveness or be charged,” he stated.
Deng said he was still at Mathiang’s premises on Wednesday morning as he got his phone back, given to him as he awaits other parts of the investigation to get completed before he hears the next steps.
Another youth was momentarily detained by the security operatives on Tuesday and asked to be named only as Angelo. He said he was taken into a car, which drove him into a quiet zone and started asking him some questions, which he answered in a calm demeanor.
“They took me into a car and began asking, ‘What is the name of the network operating with you? I said nobody at all, just me alone, and I am demanding, then one person among them told them to let me out of the car,” he stated.
As the youth in the Northern Bahr El Ghazal state have begun being vocal for the political detainees’ freedom, some youth say the head of state’s visit is anticipated to result in positive results, such as general amnesty for most of the detainees or some.