Opposition Rubkona commissioner detained by security forces

JUBA — Security forces in Unity State have detained the opposition-appointed commissioner of Rubkona County, James Kasara Clement Juol, after surrounding his home on Sunday night and preventing him from leaving, two security sources told Sudans Post.

The sources said security personnel deployed to Juol’s residence in Rubkona on Sunday evening, effectively placing him under house arrest. He remained confined to his home as of Monday evening, with no formal charges announced.

“He was surrounded last night and told he could not leave the house. He is still there under guard,” one security source with direct knowledge of the situation said.

A second security source confirmed the detention, saying the move appeared linked to the deteriorating security situation in Unity State following recent clashes around Bentiu and Rubkona.

“The order was clear: he was not to move,” the source said, adding that the commissioner’s communication with the outside world had been restricted.

Juol was nominated by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) as Rubkona County commissioner under the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), which established power-sharing arrangements between President Salva Kiir’s government and opposition groups.

His detention comes amid rising tensions between government and opposition forces in Unity State, where fighting has intensified in recent days near the state capital Bentiu, including areas close to the Bentiu IDP camp and key road corridors.

Opposition politicians loyal to First Vice President Riek Machar Teny have all fled Juba.

The SPLM-IO has repeatedly accused government forces of targeting its civilian administrators and dismantling the structures established under the peace agreement.

Unity State information minister Nyakenya Yohanes Keah was not immediately available to comment on the reasons for Juol’s detention.

The arrest adds to concerns that the revitalized peace agreement is further unraveling, as local officials appointed under its provisions face mounting pressure amid renewed hostilities.

It was not immediately clear whether Juol would be formally charged, transferred to another location, or released.