Prisoners seize control of part of South Sudan detention centre

Prisoners disarmed guards and seized control of part of a detention centre in South Sudan's capital Juba early yesterday, the state security service said, and a detainee said the inmates taking the action were political prisoners seeking freedom.

A National Security Service (NSS) statement said the stand-off started when one prisoner, Captain Keribino Wol, overpowered a guard at the prison's entrance and seized his weapon at about 1:00 am yesterday.

"We're fed up and we're protesting systematic injustice and oppression. All political prisoners and detainees need to be released or given fair trial. The lack of trials is illegal," Wol told Reuters via phone from inside the prison.

The revolt occurred at the detention centre at Blue House, the headquarters of the National Security Service.

Wol, the NSS statement said, "mobilised criminals who were in the detention and established a force of 15 and took over one part of the prison cell where he forced the prisoners into a human shield to protect him from our protection forces."