Governor’s Order Sparks Bentiu Alert
An attempted arrest of 2nd Lieutenant Leek Paul Dor Lampuar inside the former Protection of Civilians site sent shockwaves through Bentiu on Wednesday, opposition officials report.
Security personnel allegedly acting on Governor Riek Bim’s directive approached the officer without stating charges, according to SPLA-IO media representative Major Kerbino Yai Pazale.
Division Commander Calms the Confrontation
Witnesses recall a tense exchange as guns were readied but not fired; Division 4 commander General Matthew Puljang Top ordered the security team to pull back, defusing the situation within minutes.
By dusk, normalcy returned to the camp and surrounding Rubkona town, residents say, though uncertainty lingered over the motives behind the aborted detention.
SPLA-IO Voices Concerns over Joint Camp Policing
Lieutenant Leek is part of the joint police force deployed in 2020 by the government and SPLA-IO to secure internally displaced persons at Bentiu.
Major Pazale questions why an officer fulfilling agreed duties faced arrest, warning that repeated interference could jeopardise cooperation between the two signatory forces.
IDP Leadership in the Crosshairs
Opposition sources add that security agents simultaneously searched for camp leader Gatkek Kuol, who has since left his residence to avoid possible detention.
Pazale asserts the SPLA-IO will reject any further breach of camp protocols and, if necessary, request the United Nations Mission in South Sudan to redeploy peacekeepers.
Future of Security at Bentiu Camp
Unity State remains comparatively calm compared with Upper Nile and Jonglei, yet the Bentiu scare underscores fragilities within the transitional security framework.
Neither South Sudan People’s Defence Forces headquarters nor state officials provided comment, leaving room for dialogue to reaffirm mandates and prevent fresh flashpoints.
For now, residents credit General Puljang’s swift mediation for turning a potential firefight into a lesson on the value of restraint during South Sudan’s delicate peace process.