Authorities in Bor town, Jonglei State, on Friday dissolved the Jonglei Workers’ Union and arrested the body’s senior leadership a day after civil servants in the town went on a sit-down strike over unpaid salary arrears.

Abraham Mading Amer, the deputy chairperson of the union, told Radio Tamazuj Saturday that the state government’s decision to dissolve the union and arrest its leaders was effected while the body was organizing a peaceful demonstration over unpaid arrears on Friday afternoon.

He identified the arrested as the union’s chairperson, David Mayen Deng, Secretary-general Samuel Majier Loch, and Ruben Matiop of the teachers’ union respectively.

“They were arrested by the police on Friday at 1 pm while at the state education ministry premises trying to organize a peaceful demonstration over the issue of our salaries,” he said. “They are still at a police cell now (Saturday). Our union was also dissolved. The governor and his security committee made all these decisions.”

“The state government is doing this because they want to silence us and do not want us to complain about our rights,” he added.

Mading said they had already filed a complaint in Juba regarding the dissolution of the union.

Ibrahim Geu, the union’s spokesperson, called for the release of the detained officials, saying the detention was aimed at intimidating them.

For his part, Ter Manyang, the executive director of the civil society organization, Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), condemned the arrests, saying it is a human rights violation and demanded that the detained officials be released.

“Arresting people for demanding their rights is unlawful. The government is worsening the situation by arresting them so I am calling for their release because they are demanding their salaries,” he said. “Also, dissolving the union by the government because these people protested is not procedural.”

Attempts to reach Governor Denay Jock Chagor, his information minister, Samuel John Manyuon, and the state police for comment were futile.

On Friday, Jonglei State Information Minister John Samuel Manyuon acknowledged the civil servants’ demands and said they would work with the state workers’ union to address the worker’s demands.  

“As the state, we admit their rights and we have some challenges that is why there is a problem in payment,” he said. “We are working to address these concerns through the workers’ union. So, our appeal is that they should not go on the streets and present their demands in a nonviolent way because it is their right.”