South Sudan freezes bank accounts of pro-democracy groups

JUBA, South Sudan

The Central Bank of South Sudan has frozen accounts of advocacy groups in response to its involvement in the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA), which called for peaceful protests for regime change.

The October 6th letter, entitled Directive to Block the Bank Accounts of Organisation Connected to PCCA, seen by the Sudan Tribune, directed all commercial banks operating in South Sudan to block bank accounts of organizations connected to People’s Coalition for Civil Action.

“In reference to the above-mentioned subject, you are hereby directed to block all the bank accounts of the below organizations with immediate effect”, reads a letter signed by Moses Makur Deng, Director General at the bank responsible for Statistics and research and banking supervision.

Deng directed all managing directors of all commercial banks to block the bank of counts of four pro-democracy groups supporting transparency and accountability in the country.

The four groups are Sudd Institut, Okay Africa Foundation, Organisation for Responsive Governance and Foundation for Democracy and Accountable Governance.

The civil society groups denounced the "bankrupt political system" in South Sudan and called for peaceful protests for the resignation of President Salva Kiir and his First Deputy Riek Machar.

However, the nationwide peaceful protests of 30 August failed to materialize due to the massive deployment of security forces and preventive arrests across the country.

Amnesty International, last September, condemned the wave of repression after the arrest of civil society activists and a politician and the closure of a radio station and an academic think-tank.