South Sudan-Foreign Partners Called Out For Meddling In Domestic Affairs

By Deng Machol 

JUBA, South Sudan - South Sudan accused the U.S, British, and other Western envoys of meddling in the country’s internal affairs, saying it is unacceptable behavior following the criticized a controversial National Security Service (NSS) bill that would allow the authority to detain people without warrants, saying it would undermine open political and civil space ahead of the country’s elections.

Nine Western envoys, including representatives of the U.S. and Britain, said Wednesday that the signing of the bill would “constitute a significant step away from the opening of political and civic space, which is a prerequisite for genuine and peaceful elections to take place.”

The security bill, which passed parliament on July 3, has threatened the collapse of ongoing peace talks and prompted fears of arbitrary arrests ahead of the country’s first-ever elections on Dec. 22. President Salva Kiir has 30 days to approve or veto the law.

The foreign ministry’s spokesperson, Wol Mayar Ariec, described it as 'regrets and great concern' the unfriendly approach adopted by a group of missions by taking blatant steps in meddling in the internal issues related to matters of sovereignty.

Wol said the foreign envoy's statement “constitutes a serious interference in the internal affairs, adding it is viewed as unjustified direct interference in matters of national concerns that seems to be a blatant move 

"This designed to undermine and incite the public opinion in the country against the authorities which shows clear intension to undermine the government and pose a direct threat to the national security of the Republic of South Sudan,” Wol told the journalists in Juba's capital of South Sudan on Friday.

He added the bill is even still being discussed in the National Legislative Assembly.

Wol said the foreign missions should desist from “deliberate involvement in issuing such unfriendly statements and hostile positions that are not acceptable to the government of South Sudan.”

The bill has also created a stalemate point between the parties to the 2018 peace deal, including in the Tumaini peace talks between the government and opposition groups that were not part of a 2018 peace agreement that ended the five-year civil war in which nearly 400,000 people died.

U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said the security bill should be returned to legislators to “work on amendments that align with the government’s commitment to scrap this institution’s arrest powers, which are systematically abused and unlawful.”

On July 12, President Kiir received a controversial bill from the speaker of the transitional legislative assembly for ascension and signing into law amid mounting calls for him to reject it.

The Head of State is to meet the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs for deliberation before the next action.