Case History: Clement Lochio Lomornana

On 6 August 2015, in the middle of the night, security forces arbitrarily detained human rights defender Clement Lochio Lomornana, together with two of his friends, brothers Amin and Nailo Venansio. Six months later, his whereabouts are still unknown.

The officers took the three men from their huts in the village of Chukudum, Budi County, in the south of the country, and brought them to a military barrack. According to local sources, the officers tortured them in order to force them to confess crimes they hadn't committed. Amin and Nailo Venansio were allowed to receive visits from their family, while Clement Lochio Lomornana was not.

On August 15, Clement Lochio Lomornana and Nailo Venansio were reportedly last seen being forced into a military vehicle. Since then, there has been no information on their whereabouts. However, authorities in South Sudan have officially denied that they have arrested them.

In the months prior to his disappearance, Clement Lochio Lomornana had been subjected to a number of serious acts of intimidation and attempted attacks. He reported being followed in Juba on several occasions and he received death threats. After sharing his concerns with family and friends, the human rights defender decided to leave the country for a period of time. He went into hiding in Uganda and Kenya and he returned to South Sudan in early August.

Journalists and those who are critical of the government have suffered ongoing persecution and harassment in South Sudan. On 20 August 2015, journalist Peter Moi was shot dead. He was the seventh journalist killed in South Sudan in 2015. This occurred just three days after President Salva Kiir threatened to kill reporters who "work against the country."

On 30 December 2015, agents of the National Security Service arrested journalist Joseph Afandi, who had recently written an article where he criticised the ruling party for failing to protect South-sudanese citizens and for being responsible for the civil war. According to the organisation Committee to Protect Journalists, since civil war broke out in 2013 “security agents have harassed the press and raided media outlets to limit coverage of rebel activities” and the killings “bring a new level of intimidation to South Sudan's beleaguered media”.

Front Line Defenders expresses grave concern at the arbitrary detention and unknown whereabouts of Clement Lochio Lomornana, particularly in light of harassment against him and other journalists. Front Line Defenders remains gravely concerned for his physical and psychological integrity and believes that his detention and disappearance are directly linked to his peaceful and legitimate human rights work.