US, EU, AU Asks President Salva Kiir to Release the Remaining 4 Political Detainees

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The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU) has asked for the release of the four political prisoners in Juba whom the South Sudanese government on Tuesday said it would prosecute for an alleged coup attempt. The detainees are Pag’an Amum, Majak D’Agoot, Oyai Deng Ajak and Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, four politicians and ex-officials hailing from the states of Upper Nile and Jonglei. Meeting at the level of Heads of State and Government on Wednesday, the AU Security Council issued a communiqué underlining the importance of the detainees’ participation in upcoming political talks in Addis Ababa.

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The United States has called on South Sudan to release the last four of a group of detainees held on suspicion of trying to stage a coup, a move that could clear a major sticking point in talks to end weeks of fighting. The senior political figures were arrested after clashes broke out between rival groups of soldiers in South Sudan’s capital Juba in mid-December. South Sudan freed seven of the detainees, including the country’s former justice and finance ministers, on Wednesday and handed them over to neighbouring Kenya. But it said it was still examining evidence against the last four, including the former secretary general of the ruling The Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement. “We welcome the release of the seven detainees and we believe that is a positive step … We will continue to urge the release of the remaining four detainees,” US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns told the Reuters news agency on Thursday on the sidelines of an African Union summit in Addis Ababa.

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PaanLuel Wël

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PaanLuel Wël is the founder and editor-in-chief of PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd, a news website that covers news, opinions, analysis, history, culture and literature of South Sudan and the world. Founded in July 2011 by PaanLuel Wël to create a platform for free expression and constructive dialogue, the website features articles from various contributors, including columnists, commentators, poets, authors, activists and academics. PaanLuel Wël believes that media can play a vital role in informing, educating and empowering the people to participate in nation-building and social transformation. He also believes that media can foster a culture of dialogue, tolerance and diversity among different communities and groups, and hopes to inspire and mentor the next generation of South Sudanese writers and journalists.

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