14 April 2010
Press Statement
April 16, 2010 (Juba) — We received today confirmed reports that Dr Funda Dominic, the Secretary for Cultural Affairs and the Chief Agent of the SPLM-DC Candidate for President of the Government of Southern Sudan for Equatoria Sector was detained by the SPLA soldiers in Tore, Western Equatoria State. The incident took place on the 11th instant, the polling day. He was tortured badly and everything found on him was taken by his captors. He was only set free yesterday and had nothing to take him to Juba.
Dr Funda was on the elections trail that took him to Mundri when he got arrested by the SPLA soldiers for no reason other than being a member of SPLM-DC.
Such politically-motivated atrocious acts are masterminded by the SPLM which is scared about the SPLM-DC as a competitor in the current elections. Similar incidents of SPLA’s interference in the elections process are widespread in Southern Sudan.
We appeal to the National Elections Commission to use its powers to bring to an end all kinds of harassments of members of registered political parties. This is the only way the elections could be judged as free and fair.
The Information Department,
SPLM-DC