Grace Matsiko
10 October 2008
Kampala — Four Ugandan women are among people arrested in Juba, South Sudan for alleged indecent dressing.
"I was going to buy sauce at the market in Konyokonyo and three policemen stopped me and ordered me to get into the car.
I inquired why I was being arrested, they told me I was dressed in a funny way, "one of the detained Ugandans, Ms Resty Nakabubi, 21, narrated by telephone from Juba yesterday. "On the police truck I found another Ugandan, they took us to Malakal police while rebuking us for promoting Aids."
Predominantly Muslim Sudan follows the Sharia law that was a the cause of fighting between the SPLA and the Sudan army. However, South Sudan follows a secular law but has a big Musilim population that influences issues like the dress code.
The women, arrested on Monday, were accused of wearing very tight trousers, short mini-skirts and short T-shirts, described as indecent dressing by the authorities.
The four Ugandans, among the 30 detained, were, however, released on the intervention of the South Sudan President, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit on Tuesday, the victims and the media in Sudan said.
Ms Nakabubi said she is a resident of Nateete, a suburb of Kampala, but has been living in Juba for the last five months.
Uganda's Consular General in Juba Busho Ndinyenka could not be reached for a comment yesterday.
But Mr Richard Twesigye, a businessman, confirmed the arrest.
The arrests follow an October 2, order by the Commissioner of Juba County, Mr Albert Pitia Redantore, in which he banned "all bad behaviours, activities and imported illicit cultures of what is known as 'niggers', the Sudan Tribune reported.
Mr Redantore also issued an order for bars to operate between 5 pm to 10 pm.
Some suspects were paraded before a 'Public Order Court' in the Malakia / Konyo Konyo market district of Juba. Eyewitnesses said many women left the court in bloodstained clothing, showing what appeared to be clear signs of torture, according to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs of the Government of Southern Sudan.
South Sudan minister Luka Biong Deng said President Salva Kiir had ordered a "serious investigation" into the incident. South Sudan minister of Gender, Social Welfare and Religious Affairs Mary Kinden Akimbo criticised the order to arrest the young people, saying the issue needed to be carefully studied before taking any necessary decision.
"Decency is a subjective word which one needs to be defined to know what constitutes decency and what does not," she told the local media. A statement from the Ministry of Presidential Affairs said, "the women detained are all reportedly young. Contrary to suggestions that the action was part of a crackdown on foreign sex-workers.
"At least a large proportion were reported to be Sudanese nationals. Some were said to be returning home from Church at the time of arrest and at least one described being forcibly detained whilst bathing her baby, putting the infant at risk of drowning," the statement added.
Hundreds of Ugandans have in the last three years being trekking to Juba to do business but they have been a target of unruly Sudanese security agents.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Monitor. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
