Four security officers killed in South Sudan road ambush, amid rising attacks
Four security officers working for a state governor in South Sudan have been killed in a road ambush, a spokesman said on Friday, amid a surge in attacks along key trade routes in the country.
The attack took place on the 160-kilometre (100- mile) highway from Juba to Yei, a hub for trade from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The convoy included several security officers and policemen charged with providing protection for the governor of Central Equatoria state, Emmanuel Adil Anthony, who was travelling to Yei by air.
“The governor was (headed on) an official mission... to directly engage with internally displaced persons within Yei,” his spokesman Derick Derickson told AFP.
He initially said three had died, however in a later statement clarified that a fourth officer had succumbed to their wounds, slamming the “brutal murdering of the four” bodyguards in the attack on Thursday afternoon.
The Central Equatoria region has been plagued by violence due to an insurgency by the National Salvation Front (NAS) rebel group, which did not sign on to a 2018 peace deal aimed at ending the country's bloody civil war.
Almost 400,000 people have died as a result of the war which erupted in December 2013, two years after South Sudan achieved independence.
Derickson blamed the latest attack on the NAS. The group, led by former deputy army chief Thomas Cirillo, has previously denied responsibility for road ambushes.
Numerous attacks on civilians and commercial vehicles have taken place in recent months on the Juba-Yei road, as well as the Juba-Nimule road leading to Uganda.
The Kenyan government raised the alarm over the situation in April after saying an attack on Kenyan truck drivers on the Juba-Nimule road had resulted in “several fatalities and multiple injuries.”
Independent radio station Eye Radio reported several Ugandans had also been killed in attacks. Last month scores of trucks refused to enter the country until they had a security escort.
Read more: South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir dissolves parliament
Also Read
-
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir dissolves parliament
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dissolved parliament, opening the way for lawmakers from opposing sides of the country’s civil war to be ... Middle East -
Italian priest shot in South Sudan, local clerics arrested
An Italian Catholic priest has been wounded in a shooting in South Sudan, leading to the arrest of multiple local clerics, government and church ... Middle East -
South Sudan’s president appoints new army chief amid government reshuffle
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has appointed General Santino Deng Wol as the new head of the army, Kiir’s spokesman said on Sunday, as part of a ... Middle East -
Sudan, South Sudan must settle dispute over oil-rich region: UN
Sudan and South Sudan must reach an agreement on the disputed, oil-rich border region of Abyei in order for the UN mission there to conclude, ... Middle East -
UN to reduce peacekeepers in South Sudan due to drop in violence
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Tuesday it plans to reduce troop numbers by seven percent this year, due to a drop in violence ... Africa -
IMF grants $174m emergency loan to boost South Sudan’s economy, says Central Bank
The IMF has approved $174 million (148 million euros) in emergency assistance to South Sudan, the country’s central bank governor said on Thursday, as ... Economy
