South Sudan’s former Deputy Defence Minister arrested

The former Deputy Minister of Defence of South Sudan, Majak D’Agoot was arrested early Tuesday evening in Juba by a large mixed force of police and national security.  D’Agoot was warned earlier in the afternoon that he would be taken into custody. He served as the number two at the Defense Ministry until the Cabinet reshuffle last July. “They came for him at 5.35pm,” said a relative of the politician who declined to be named, adding that the arrest was made at D’Agoot’s house in Mudiria area. The detachment sent to make the arrest included five Land Cruiser pickups and one smaller vehicle with armed police and plainclothes National Security officers. According to the source, D’Agoot was first taken to the police headquarters in Buluk, then to a house in the Amarat neighborhood. He added that other politicians were detained at the house: Gier Chuang, Deng Alor, Kosti Manibe, Cirino Hiteng, John Luk, and Madut Biar.File photo: Majak D’ Agoot, South Sudan’s Deputy Defence Minister speaking at the launch of The Sudd research Institute in Juba on May 2012 (ST)