Four on-duty journalists reportedly briefly detained by security agents for failing to join demonstrators in support of the 32 states in Rumbek on Wednesday.

The four rounded up by National Security officers at their work place – Radio Rumbek – run by the state government.

John Raaneban is one of the journalists who were briefly detained by the security officers.

He told Eye Radio that they were picked up from the office for failing to join demonstrators who marched to the United Nations field office in Rumbek to show support for the current 32 states.

“As a supervisor, I told them we were on duty, but they refused. They didn’t understand us,” Raaneban said.

Eye Radio’s attempt to reach the NSS in the state was not immediately successful.

Mr. Raaneban says Western Lakes State government had announced that all government workers should turn up for the demonstration in support of the 32 states.

After last weekend’s unsuccessful talks with Opposition Leader Dr. Riek Machar in Addis Ababa, President Salva Kiir’s government is consulting citizens on whether to agree to the opposition’s demand for a return to 10 states.

Kiir dissolved the former 10 states and created the current 32 through decrees during the civil war.