South Sudan’s immediate former Finance Minister Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol was arrested by security forces late Friday night while allegedly attempting to flee across the border into Uganda, according to multiple security sources.
The arrest occurred around 8:00 p.m. in the border town of Nimule.
Sources say that Chol tried to cross using an unofficial route on a motorcycle taxi (bodaboda). He was intercepted by security personnel during the attempt.
Footage circulating on social media shows the former minister with apparent bloodstains on his clothing following a pursuit.
In one video clip, Chol is heard pleading with officers not to film him after being apprehended near the Elegu-Nimule border crossing.
Photos from the scene appear to show a large, undisclosed sum of U.S. currency seized during the arrest.
The detention comes just one day after Chol formally handed over his office to newly appointed Finance Minister Salvatore Garang Mabiordit.
President Salva Kiir dismissed Chol on Monday, February 23, ending a tenure that lasted slightly over three months.
A professor at the University of Juba, Chol previously served as finance minister from August 2023 to March 2024.
The government has not issued an official statement on the arrest or any charges against Chol.
The incident appears to form part of a widening crackdown targeting high-profile figures in the finance and security sectors.Recent arrests include:
- Former central bank governor Moses Makur Deng Manguak (placed under house arrest in Juba earlier this week)
- 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, reportedly detained Friday after reporting for questioning)
The motive behind the apparent wave of detentions remains unclear.
South Sudan continues to face severe economic pressure, high inflation, currency depreciation, liquidity shortages, and increased scrutiny of its financial institutions and revenue management.
Observers and civil society groups have long pointed to systemic corruption, weak accountability mechanisms, and mismanagement of public funds — particularly oil revenues — as persistent challenges undermining governance and service delivery.
No formal charges or reasons for Chol’s arrest have been publicly disclosed at the time of publication.
The former minister’s family and legal representatives have not yet issued statements.