Authorities in Bor County, Jonglei State, have confirmed the arrest of a National Security Service (NSS) officer filmed harassing an elderly woman during a disarmament operation, in an incident that has drawn public outrage across South Sudan.
Bor County Commissioner Samuel Ateny Pech told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that the officer, identified as Thomas Wani, had been detained and placed under investigation after the footage spread widely on social media.
“The incident that happened in Bor town was by one of the security personnel carrying out a search operation. This led to the harassment of an old lady,” Ateny said. “The person has been identified as Thomas Wani. He has been arrested and is now under investigation.”
Ateny added that both the officer and the National Security Service leadership had apologized to the victim and the local community.
“He apologized — and the National Security also apologized to the old lady and to the people of Jonglei State,” Ateny said, adding that the matter would be addressed under the NSS Code of Conduct and the National Security Service Act.
A separate video circulating online shows Maj. Gen. Samuel Lueth, who oversees the NSS-led disarmament campaign in Bor, visiting the woman’s home to condemn the officer’s actions and offer an official apology. In the footage, the officer is seen standing nearby with his hands bound by rope.
“The officer is arrested and shall be arraigned in a court of law in accordance with the NSS code of conduct,” Lueth said.
The video that triggered public anger shows a uniformed NSS officer pointing an AK-47 rifle at a frightened woman believed to be in her 80s, as she pleads for her life and insists she has no money. A dog can be heard barking in the background as the woman tries to defend herself.
The incident occurred amid a disarmament operation in Bor that has faced criticism from residents and local leaders for alleged abuses and excessive force by security personnel.
Church leaders and residents condemned the incident, calling for professionalism and accountability.
“That same person harassing the woman once put me at gunpoint,” said Pastor Majok Ayuen Kok, a church leader in Bor. “He is reckless and will definitely commit a homicide if he is not taken out of Bor.”
Pastor Kok said while most of the disarmament has been peaceful, incidents like this erode public trust.
“The government must ensure the disarmament exercise is conducted by professionals who understand their mandate,” he said. “Authorities should screen personnel and remove those unfit for duty.”
Local residents also expressed outrage, saying the video left them feeling unsafe.
“Those soldiers were not looking for guns — they were looking for money,” said Mercy Johnson, a Bor resident. “Seeing our mothers crying on social media — what safety do the rest of us have?”
Another resident, Mawut Pandiar, called the officer’s actions “shameful.”
“We are supposed to protect our elders,” he said. “It breaks my heart to see an elderly woman being asked for money by a drunken officer. The only protector she had was her dog.”
Civil society groups joined calls for accountability. Bol Deng Bol, head of Intrepid South Sudan and chair of the Jonglei Civil Society Network, urged top military leaders to intervene.
“I call on the Chief of Defence Forces and the Governor of Jonglei State to stop the ongoing abuses committed by forces during the disarmament operation and ensure justice for victims,” Bol said.
Security forces on Tuesday launched a disarmament operation in Bor Town targeting members of the Red Belt vigilante group.
Last week, army chief Gen. Paul Nang warned that the Red Belt movement in Bor County posed a “major threat to national security” and vowed to dismantle the group as joint security forces intensified operations to recover illegal weapons nationwide.
The Red Belt group — an armed youth movement that emerged in recent months — claims to defend villages and cattle camps from raids in Bor County.
However, government officials accuse it of evolving into a criminal network involved in robbery, extortion, and attacks on security personnel.
Jonglei State authorities have linked the group to several violent incidents around Bor, including ambushes and clashes with security forces.