Four members of the Rumbek University Staff Association who were recently suspended have been arrested in Rumbek allegedly under the orders of Lakes State Governor Rin Tueny Mabor.
Those arrested are the Head of Business Administration Department and acting chair of the Rumbek University Academic Staff Association, Khot Manyuon, the Dean of Students Affairs Makur Awan, the Head of History and Geography Department, Joseph Muong and lecturer Emmanuel Rundial.
The Governor reportedly ordered the arrest of the four on Saturday.
The Secretary of the Academic Staff Association, Gor Mathiang Kau, told Radio Tamazuj that the four were arrested by the National Security Service officers on Saturday morning.
He said the cause of their arrest was unknown because the Vice-Chancellor met with the government officials and thereafter ordered the arrest.
“The person sent to pick them up said the order came from Lakes State Governor Rin Tueny Mabor,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor, Joshua Otor Akol, said he did know the reason for the arrests and promised to find out.
He, however, admitted having a meeting with the Governor.
Lakes State civil society activist Daniel Laat Kon confirmed that they were aware of the detention of the four lecturers.
He said they were arrested following the orders of the Governor.
Kon said only dialogue could address their grievances with the university administration.
He called on the national government to intervene because holding them in detention would escalate the situation.
Acting Information and Communication Minister William Koji Kerjok said he had no knowledge about the Governor’s arrest order, but asked the media to contact the university administration over the matter.