South Sudan’s former central bank governor Moses Makur Deng Manguak has been placed under house arrest in the capital shortly after returning from medical treatment abroad, family members confirmed.
Manguak, who led the Bank of South Sudan from January to August 2022, was detained upon his arrival this week from India, where he underwent head surgery.
Family member Johnson Mangar said; “The former governor is under house arrest. We are all put under house arrest with him in Thongpiny.”
Mangar said security forces initially took Manguak to the Blue House — headquarters of the National Security Service (NSS) — before transferring him back to his residence in Thongpiny suburb due to his fragile post-surgery condition.
Armed NSS personnel are stationed at the compound.
Family members present during the raid are allowed limited movement, but no outside visitors are permitted.
The government has not issued an official statement on the detention or any charges.
The family suggested rumors of “money signed” during Manguak’s brief tenure may be linked to the action, though he has denied any wrongdoing.
The arrest forms part of a widening crackdown targeting senior figures in the finance and security sectors in recent days, including:
- Former finance minister Dr. Marial Dongrin Ater (arrested in Rumbek on Thursday and flown to Juba)
- Maj. Gen. Manasseh Machar Bol (senior security official formerly at the Ministry of Petroleum, detained earlier this week)
- Deng Lual Wol (former undersecretary at the Ministry of Petroleum, summoned to NSS for questioning on Friday morning)
Manguak, a career central banker specializing in supervision and statistics before his governorship, is the latest high-profile figure from the economic and security apparatus to face restriction or detention.
Observers note the pattern coincides with heightened scrutiny of financial institutions, revenue management, and public spending amid South Sudan’s ongoing economic challenges, including high inflation, currency depreciation, liquidity shortages, and persistent allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
