An aid worker and a civil society activist were briefly arrested in the Jonglei State capital, Bor on Tuesday and released yesterday without any charges.

The Executive Director for the national organization ATAKA HUB Bior Ajang Garang, and Bol Deng, an activist with the National Civil Alliance were arrested while carrying out a needs assessment for the flood victims in Bor town. 

No reasons were given for the arrest. 

“As ATAKA HUB, we are implementing a project that supports vulnerable women with food and non-food items. While carrying out an assessment, a man who identified himself as a CID (Criminal Investigation Department) officer approached us and took us to a cell, labeling us as an opposition group. We were arrested at 5 P.M. We spent a night there,” Bior Ajang told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday afternoon. 

He added, “In the morning, we were transferred to the main police station for an investigation, but only to be released without charges.”

Meanwhile, Bol, the released activist, said they were subjected to harsh conditions while in detention. 

He appealed to the government to intervene, saying humanitarian work disruption derails services delivery to the needy. 

For his part, Chol Achiek, the acting state police commissioner, confirmed the arrest, describing it as unfortunate. 

“The officer behind the arrest is currently under investigation. As police, we condemned the incident and apologize to the humanitarian community.”

The senior police officer pointed out that they will make public the findings as soon as the investigation finishes. 

David Garang Goc, the head of the Jonglei Civil Society Network, also condemned the arrest, urging the government to hold to the culprits to account. 

Last month, two aid workers were killed in separate incidents in Greater Pibor and Pigi County of Jonglei state. 

This happens as the donor community in South Sudan condemned the killings and recurring violence towards aid workers and called for their protection.