The boy, identified as Peace Paul Arkangelo, was taken from his home in the early hours of June 1 by armed men whom locals say were guards of Eastern Equatoria State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore. Witnesses allege the officers severely beat the child before he died in custody.
Family’s Account: A Nighttime Raid and Brutal Beating
Mary Redento Agura, the boy’s mother, told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that armed men stormed their home around 1:30 a.m., demanding to know where her son was.
“They woke me by force, beating me with bamboo sticks,” she told Radio Tamazuj. “Five armed men—including the governor’s fat, brown boy—arrested my son. They knocked his head against mine, and he cried ‘Mama!’ three times before they took him away.”
She said she later found her son’s body at a police station, stripped naked and covered in wounds. “His chest and back were chopped. Blood was everywhere,” she said.
Authorities provided a coffin but no further assistance, she added. “The government must answer for this.”
Officials Deny Involvement
Torit Mayor Oyito Baptist Soforonio and Eastern Equatoria Information Minister Elia John Ahaji denied in a joint statement that the governor’s guards were involved.
Soforonio said security forces were targeting criminal gangs accused of violence and weapons possession. He confirmed a boy had died in custody but denied mistreatment.
“There is no credible evidence he was tortured,” Soforonio said. “Investigations are ongoing.”
Ahaji acknowledged the boy died in custody but said the forces involved were part of a multi-agency operation, not the governor’s guards.
“If investigations prove torture occurred, legal action will follow,” he said.
Human Rights Advocate Demands Accountability
Ter Manyang Gatwech, Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), called for an independent investigation.
“This is heartbreaking and unacceptable,” Gatwech said. “The rule of law must apply to everyone, regardless of power.”
He urged South Sudan’s Justice Ministry and human rights bodies to intervene, warning that impunity undermines the nation’s stability.
Local sources say tensions remain high in Torit, with residents accusing security forces of heavy-handed tactics. Radio Tamazuj
