Late Aggrey Idri

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has blacklisted  individual human rights violators globally, including five South Sudanese it believes to have murdered critics of the Kiir administration.

This is part of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act which targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption.

“Treasury’s action focuses on those who have killed, or ordered the killing of innocents who stood up for human rights including journalists, opposition members, and lawyers,” said Deputy Secretary Justin G. Muzinich.

The five South Sudanese who appear to have dual citizenship are accused of taking part in the cold blood murder of Dong Samuel and Aggrey Idri.

OFAC identifies them as:

Abud Stephen Thiongkol (Thiongkol) is a foreign person that is or has been the leader of an entity that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, serious human rights abuse.  Thiongkol has been identified as the commander of the detention facilities where Aggrey and Dong were held prior to their killings.

Malual Dhal Muorwel (Muorwel) is a foreign person that is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse.  In addition to Muorwel’s participation in the killings of Dong and Aggrey he has been identified as being the commander of forces who detained and assaulted three international monitors in December of 2018.

Michael Kuajien (Kuajien) is a foreign person that is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse.  Kuajien is one of two people publicly identified as being present in Kenya during, and in having a hand in, the kidnapping of Dong and Aggrey.

John Top Lam (Lam) is a foreign person that is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse.  Lam is one of two people publicly identified as being present in Kenya during, and in having a hand in, the kidnapping of Dong and Aggrey.  Further, Lam is reported to have called member of Dong’s family in order to provide information on Dong’s whereabouts in return for a substantial cash payment.

Angelo Kuot Garang (Garang) is a foreign person that is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse.  Garang has been identified as being involved in the killing of Dong and Aggrey, as well as of other individuals.

“The United States will not tolerate torture, kidnapping, sexual violence, murder, or brutality against innocent civilians,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin.

“America is the world leader in combatting human rights abuse and we will hold perpetrators and enablers accountable wherever they operate.”

According to a UN Panel of Experts on South Sudan, Dong and Idri were executed by Internal Security Bureau agents at a Luri NS facility three days after they were taken to Juba. The government has denied involvement in the reported extra-judicial killing of the men.

Dong and Idri were kidnapped in Nairobi, Kenya, on January 23 and 24, 2017, respectively, and then allegedly flown to Juba on a chartered plane on January 27.

As a result of Tuesday’s action, all property and interests in property of the individuals named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other designated persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.

Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or otherwise exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.

OFAC has also taken action against several individuals located in Burma, Pakistan, Libya, Slovakia, and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).