Families seek whereabouts of detained Kapoeta South SPLM secretary

Families of the detained Kapoeta South County SPLM secretary and his friend are calling on authorities to disclose the whereabouts of the two men following their arrest last month.

According to the Eastern Equatoria State SPLM Secretariat, Alex Lotyem, the SPLM secretary for Kapoeta South County, and his friend, Matthew Loteyo, were arrested by security forces at a hotel in Kapoeta town on October 30.

Their whereabouts have remained unknown since the arrest.

Speaking to Eye Radio this morning, Sultan Alkuary Eko, the father of Lotyem, said the authorities had not informed the family about the circumstances surrounding his son’s arrest.

He called on those responsible to explain the reasons for the arrest and disclose where the two men are being held.

“The two men do not have any problems with anyone. One is the SPLM Secretary in Kapoeta South County and a youth leader, while the other is his brother. They were arrested in a hotel, and the reason remains unknown. We want to know what they are accused of and in which detention facility they are being held,” he said.

Earlier this week, the Eastern Equatoria State SPLM Secretariat also called for the immediate release of the two men if there were no lawful grounds for their continued detention.

The secretariat further urged the authorities to bring them before a competent court if they were suspected of committing any offence.