South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
Hold-out opposition parties attending the Nairobi peace talks, have threatened to not sign the final peace agreement with the government until the controversial National Security Service Act, 2014 (Amendment) bill 2024 which was recently passed by parliament is repealed.
The opposition parties said in a statement issued on Monday, that the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement party legislators were intimidated into giving arbitrary powers to the National Security Services (NSS).
“The opposition will not sign any agreement with the R-TGoNU until the National Security Service Act is repealed as agreed in the Tumaini Initiative,” it said.
“It is utterly shocking that a parliament which purports to represent the people could be intimidated into giving such a notorious agency the power to terrorize our people and bury their hopes for freedom and rule of law,” it added.
They demanded the reconstitution of the National Security Services into a civilian National Intelligence Service with the mandate to gather intelligence without powers of arrest, detention, and interference in the political processes.
“The rush by the R-TGoNU to push this NSS Act through its rubberstamp parliament is intended to undercut the peace process in Nairobi and we consider this an act of bad faith.”
The statement was signed by Pagan Amum, Leader of Real-SPLM, Paul Malong Awan, Chairman of the South Sudan United Front/Army, Stephen Bouy Rolnyang, and Chairman of the South Sudan People’s Movement/Army and Mario Loku Thomas Jada of the NAS – Revolutionary Command Council.
On 3 July 2024, the parliament passed the National Security Service Act 2014 (Amendment) Bill 2024 which grants NSS operatives sweeping powers to detain citizens without warrant of arrest.
A total of 391 legislators voted, out of which 247 members voted in favour of the bill and 114 were against while 3 were absent.
In February 2023, minister of cabinet affairs Martin Elia Lomuro said the President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his First Deputy President, Dr. Riek Machar agreed to scrap the powers of National Security to arrest with or without a warrant.
Sections 54 and 55 of the National Security Service Act give the security personnel powers to arrest, detain, monitor communications, and search and seize property without a warrant of arrest.
The National Security Service Act, 2014 which was amended in September 2019, allows security agents virtually unfettered authority to arrest and detain suspects, monitor communications, and search and seize property.
An arrest warrant is a document issued by a judge or magistrate that authorizes the police to take into custody someone accused of committing a crime.
