Chief detained after exposing plight of inmates in Aweil West prison

The Internal Security Bureau (ISB) of the National Security Service has detained the paramount chief of Gomjuer Centre in Aweil West County after he visited Nyamlel Prison and shared images of inmates’ living conditions.

Tito Duang Dhieu was arrested on Friday and transferred to Aweil town after visiting the prison, where he took photographs of detainees and later shared them publicly without government authorisation, Aweil West County Commissioner Abuol Akok Akok told Radio Tamazuj.

The visit followed the death of an inmate on Thursday, reportedly from hunger and illness, according to local reports. Duang had sought to draw public attention to the conditions at the prison and encourage well-wishers to provide assistance to vulnerable inmates.

Photographs seen by Radio Tamazuj showed inmates living in poor conditions at Nyamlel Prison.

“The paramount chief was supposed to inform me if there was a problem, and I would have discussed the matter with the attorneys and judges so that inmates with minor cases could be released, while those facing serious charges could be referred to Aweil State Prison,” Akok said.

“Paramount Chief Tito Duang Dhieu is currently under detention in Aweil town,” she added.

A resident of Nyamlel, who asked not to be identified, questioned the involvement of the National Security Service in the arrest, saying civilian detainees should normally be held by the police.

“If a civilian is arrested, he or she should be held in police custody, and if anyone wants to see them, they can be found easily,” the resident said. “But this case was treated as an urgent security situation.”

The circumstances surrounding the inmate’s death and the number of detainees held at Nyamlel Prison were not immediately clear. It was also not immediately possible to obtain comment from the National Security Service.

Poor prison conditions have been documented across South Sudan for years. Human Rights Watch has reported overcrowding, inadequate food and water, poor sanitation and limited medical care in prisons across several states.