A South Sudanese political commentator, Samuel Peter Oyay, has been arrested by authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he resides, under circumstances that remain unclear. His detention has raised concerns, especially given his recent political criticism of South Sudan.
Oyay’s wife, Vivian Johnson, described the abrupt arrest, which took place early Monday morning in their Dubai home. According to Johnson, around 1 a.m. local time, her husband returned from work only to find six individuals in official Emirati attire waiting at their doorstep. These included four people dressed in traditional Emirati jalabiyas and two in government uniforms.
The situation escalated quickly as the officials conducted a thorough search of their house, focusing notably on Oyay’s private room. The search lasted nearly two hours but yielded no incriminating evidence. During this time, a female security officer confiscated Johnson’s phone, citing procedural reasons without offering further explanation.
The authorities informed Johnson that Oyay’s arrest was linked to “security” concerns and that he would be held for interrogation over a period of five days. They told her only that after the interrogation period “we will tell you what will happen,” before leaving without further details or clarification.
Vivian Johnson also revealed that her residency permit had expired, and although Oyay had submitted an application to renew it, their renewal requests were unexpectedly denied. Oyay had planned to visit the immigration office the morning after his arrest to address and seek clarity on this denial. Johnson suspects a connection between the residency renewal denial and the detainee’s arrest.
Johnson emphasized her distress over the lack of information regarding her husband’s whereabouts or the charges he faces. She appealed to the Emirati authorities to treat Oyay with respect and to disclose his location promptly.
Oyay’s arrest comes shortly after he publicly criticized South Sudan’s judiciary for its handling of the trial against opposition leader Riek Machar. Oyay accused the judiciary of bias, saying, “Riek Machar’s trial exposes South Sudan’s crisis: justice hijacked by tribal affiliations, and lawyer Kor Lwal branded a traitor for practicing his profession.” He highlighted the dangers of “selective justice” in the absence of a hybrid court.
The political context in South Sudan is tense. The fragile power-sharing arrangement between President Salva Kiir and Machar has been unraveling, threatening to plunge the nation back into a devastating conflict. Machar faces charges of treason and crimes against humanity related to an ethnic militia attack on a military base that killed over 250 soldiers. His trial, which could have significant political repercussions, has drawn international attention.
The United Nations rights chief recently warned that South Sudan teeters on the brink of renewed war, with nearly 2,000 civilians killed during escalating violence this year alone. Against this backdrop, Oyay’s public comments and subsequent detention raise concerns about freedom of expression and political dissent among the South Sudanese diaspora.
Attempts to reach the South Sudanese embassy in London for comment on Oyay’s arrest were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
This incident shines a spotlight on delicate geopolitical and human rights issues affecting South Sudanese citizens abroad and raises urgent questions about legal processes and political freedoms within the UAE and beyond.
