Major General Akot Lual Arech, a former special presidential envoy on Pibor affairs and a close relative of President Salva Kiir, has been released after spending three weeks in detention without being formally charged.
Lual, who also previously served as the president’s private secretary, was arrested by security forces in the capital, Juba, on August 2. No official explanation for his arrest has been made public.
A prominent figure from the Awan Chan community in Warrap State, Lual played a key role in the 2014 peace negotiations that ended fighting between government forces and the SSDM-Cobra Faction, a rebel group led by General David Yau Yau.
Shortly after his arrest, the Awan Chan youth group issued a statement accusing Vice President for the Economic Cluster, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, of orchestrating Lual’s detention. The group claimed it was in retaliation for Lual’s opposition to the deployment of Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in South Sudan.
In March, the South Sudanese government invited the UPDF to assist in stabilizing Juba and parts of Upper Nile State amid growing tensions between President Kiir and his rival, First Vice President Riek Machar. The decision sparked public debate, with critics warning that a foreign military presence could further complicate the fragile peace.
Following his release on Monday, members of the Awan Chan Youth Association, led by John Mawien Maduok, visited Lual at his residence in Juba.
Speaking while flanked by supporters, Lual thanked those who had called for his release and praised the unity of his community. “When I was arrested on Aug. 2, many young people across South Sudan raised their voices. The Awan community stood strong. This is the true meaning of solidarity,” he said.
He emphasized that his detention was not a personal matter but a national concern. “If it were only my problem, it would have been a crisis. But I knew it wasn’t just about me,” he said.
Lual also expressed appreciation for his fellow inmates and prison staff, saying he had been treated respectfully. “I was at peace during my time in custody because I knew I wasn’t alone.”
He credited Awan Chan youth unity for his release, urging broader national cohesion. “The unity of Awan youth should serve as a model. If all South Sudanese youth unite, we can stand together as one nation,” Lual said.
“You are a strong community with influence. Let’s build on this unity—no one can be strong alone.”
Gen. Lual did not disclose who ordered his arrest or provide details on the circumstances surrounding it.
His release comes days after President Kiir appointed his daughter, Adut Salva Kiir, as senior presidential envoy on special programs — a position viewed by analysts as powerful in the government.
Efforts to reach David John Kumuri, spokesperson for the National Security Service, for comment on Gen. Lual’s release were unsuccessful.
South Sudan’s constitution requires detainees to be brought before a judge within 24 hours of arrest. In practice, however, this legal protection is rarely observed.