Brig. Gen. Gabriel Kuok Dang, the former head of security for South Sudan’s First Vice President Riek Machar, has been rearrested by national security agents in the capital, Juba, according to government and opposition sources.
Kuok, a native of Unity state, was one of Machar’s closest bodyguards during the 2013 and 2016 conflicts in Juba. The reason for his latest arrest remains unclear.
SPLM-IO spokesperson Pal Mai Deng confirmed to Radio Tamazuj that Kuok was detained Wednesday, just months after being released on medical grounds. He said Kuok was arrested in Juba alongside two other individuals whose names were not disclosed.
“This act is a violation of rights. You cannot arrest someone undergoing medical treatment,” Mai said. “Our message to the government is that it should not act outside the law.”
He also cited the case of opposition lawmaker Gatwech Lam Puoch, whose parliamentary immunity was lifted Tuesday. Puoch was arrested in March after publicly opposing what he described as the illegal deployment of militia forces in Nasir County, Upper Nile state.
David Kumuri, spokesperson for the National Security Service, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Edmond Yakani, executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), said South Sudan’s leadership must show “political maturity” by addressing disputes through dialogue rather than aggression and detentions.
“The continued acts of arrests and aggression among our political leaders reflect political indiscipline and a lack of tolerance,” Yakani said. “This shows a dangerous culture of using violence as a means to address political disagreements.”
Yakani condemned reports of political opponents being arrested and detained, saying such actions undermine the culture of dialogue and peaceful conflict resolution.
“Arresting and detaining opponents in a political struggle is a dangerous act,” he said. “It risks weakening democratic practices and derails efforts to build trust between rival parties.”
He also criticized the reported re-arrest of the former bodyguard linked to First Vice President Riek Machar, calling it a “risky move” that could further escalate tensions.
Yakani warned that spoilers of South Sudan’s fragile transition from conflict to peace are deliberately undermining the process by promoting aggressive tactics to resolve political disputes.
“It is essential that all conflicting political parties embrace dialogue and peaceful means to resolve their misunderstandings,” he said.
The arrest of Machar’s former security aide comes amid growing political tensions in the country. Machar himself was detained on March 26—a move the United Nations described as pushing South Sudan to the brink of renewed conflict.
Machar, a longtime political rival to President Salva Kiir, signed a 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war, which killed an estimated 400,000 people. However, opposition officials say the high-profile arrests—including that of Deputy Army Chief Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chuol—have effectively nullified the deal.
The SPLM-IO, Machar’s party, has accused the government of violating the agreement, which calls for the unification of armed forces, drafting of a permanent constitution, and national elections. Many of those provisions remain unimplemented.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has warned that the country risks sliding back into widespread conflict. The United States and other Western embassies have repeatedly urged Kiir’s administration to de-escalate tensions and release detained opposition figures.