A civil society activist said on Friday he has received death threats from suspected National Security Service officers, an allegation denied by the Public Relations Director of the Internal Bureau agency.
Edmond Yakani – Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) – said five other activists and two journalists have also received similar threats of arrest and detention.
Yakani stated that the officers giving intimidating remarks did not mention their names.
He said he received three different calls from a male and two females who claimed to be NSS officers on Thursday, warning him against speaking on the recently passed National Security Service Act 2014 Amendment Bill 2024 which maintained arrest without warrant clause.
“I have received more than three death threat calls on WhatsApp by people who claim they are members of National Security Service and seven fellows are also receiving similar calls,”Yakani said in a WhatsApp statement to Eye Radio.
Yakani stated that it is the right of South Sudanese to debate on national matters in a peaceful matter, citing freedom of expression as enshrined in the constitution.
“This is unacceptable act, this is unconstitutional act. We debate, we argue among ourselves without embracing any violence, and it is a principle that informs the content of our constitution as public governance is concerned.”
He said there is need for the government security agency to warn officers against taking law into their hands.
The activist calls on the leadership of the National Security Service to investigate the individuals who threatened him and other individuals.
“Some individuals claiming to be members of the National Security Service are threatening activists and journalists. As I speak now, five activists have received threats for possible arrest and two journalists are receiving the same threats.”
“I would like to appeal to the leadership of National Security, can they warn some of those individuals who tend to call people, which I assume even some of them are creating an identity that they belong to, can that be investigated.”
In response, John Kumuri, the Director of Public Relations of the National Security Service, International Bureau dismissed the allegation.
Kumuri said the activists should report the matter to his office and vowed to deal with any officer found to have committed such acts.
“The Public Relations department is ready to receive complains, including the Directorate of Legal Affairs, if there are complains the door is open for you to come and bring, including the names of the officer that is threatening,” he said in an interview with Eye Radio.
“I don’t think a National Security officer would do that, if they are there, then they will be dealt with, because our work here is not to threaten anybody including the civil society.”
“If there are threats, let them bring the threats, let me have a look, sometime [they] might take law into their hands, but I don’t think it is within the policy of the National Security Service to threaten somebody.”
Mr Kumuri said the NSS Act also stipulates that those who abuse their power, including the members of the agency, will be tried and convicted in the court of law.
“You have witnessed most of them in non-summary tribunal court. We are disciplining our officers, and if they are there, let them bring.”
He further said the agency’s mandate is “not to threat anybody, whether being the civil society or the journalists.”
On Wednesday, the National Legislative Assembly passed the National Security Service Act 2014 Amendment Bill 2024, after a long and heated debate.
This is contrary to last year’s consensus between President Salva Kiir and his First Deputy Dr. Riek Machar that Articles 54 and 55 mandate the National Security Service to arrest without warrant should be scrapped.
Following its passing, the Human Rights Watch called on President Salva Kiir to use his constitutional powers to reject the bill, adding that it will further undermine human rights and entrench the agency’s longstanding abuses in the country.
Laetitia Bader, the Deputy Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, said the South Sudan parliament was expected to omit the clause used as justification for alleged arbitrary arrests and detention.
“Instead of reining in the security service, which has been the government’s preferred tool of repression, South Sudan’s parliament has further emboldened the agency,” she said.
“This was an opportunity to promote and enhance justice and human rights. But instead, parliament chose to strengthen a security service that routinely abuses rights with impunity.”
The watchdog further stated that the security service has exercised these powers without meaningful judicial or legislative oversight, and its agents are rarely punished for abuses.