South Sudanese political commentator arrested in Dubai, reasons unclear

A South Sudanese political commentator was arrested earlier this week by authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he resides, for reasons that remain unclear.

Some reports have suggested the arrest could be related to his political criticism of South Sudan.

Samuel Peter Oyay’s wife, Vivian Johnson, said he was taken from their home in Dubai in the early hours of Monday. She has appealed to Emirati authorities to immediately disclose her husband’s whereabouts and the circumstances of his detention.

Speaking to South Sudanese Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, Johnson said the incident occurred around 1 a.m. local time as her husband was returning from work. Oyay was surprised to find a group of six individuals in official Emirati attire accompanying him as he entered the home.

Johnson said four of them wore traditional Emirati clothing — jalabiyas — while the other two were dressed in government uniforms.

Johnson added that a female security officer took her phone away, and when she asked about the reason for these actions, the woman responded that they were "procedures" and that no further details could be disclosed.

The six searched the entire house for nearly two hours, particularly Oyay’s private room, but found nothing, Johnson said.

Authorities told her the arrest was for "security" reasons and that Oyay would be held for interrogation for five days. They added, "After five days, we will tell you what will happen," before leaving.

Johnson noted that her current residency permit had expired, and although her husband had submitted a renewal application, they were surprised to learn it had been denied. Oyay was scheduled to visit the immigration office the morning after his arrest to inquire about the rejection.

Although he works in the private sector and is not affiliated with any government body or political organisation, his wife believes the arrest may be linked to the entity that denied the residency renewal.

Johnson said she currently has no information about her husband’s whereabouts or the reason for his arrest, urging authorities to treat him "with respect" and disclose his location.

Last week, Oyay publicly criticised the judiciary in war-torn South Sudan over its handling of the trial against opposition leader Riek Machar.

"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. The absence of a hybrid court opens the door to selective justice. When justice becomes a hostage of tribe… what future awaits the country?" Oyay wrote.

His words were shared in Arabic by an NGO called Global Solidarity Network on their X account.

A fragile power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir and Machar, his longtime rival, has been unravelling for months, threatening to plunge the young nation back into conflict that left 400,000 dead in the 2010s.

Machar was charged last month with treason and crimes against humanity over his alleged involvement in an ethnic militia attack on a military base in March, which the government says killed more than 250 soldiers. Machar and seven co-accused were due to give opening statements on Wednesday.

The United Nations rights chief warned last week that South Sudan is on the brink of renewed war, as nearly 2,000 civilians have been killed in a surge of violence this year.

The New Arab reached out to the South Sudanese embassy in London for comment on Oyay's arrest but did not receive a response by the time of publication.