At least two people were killed and two trucks burned in an ambush by armed assailants in Wito Payam, Mundri East County of Western Equatoria State on Sunday.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj this morning, the police criminal investigations officer in Greater Mundri Double Seven De Clement said the ambush happened at about 7 am on Sunday.
“Yesterday in the morning the incident happened, the two cars were coming from Bahr el Ghazal region going to Juba. They fell into an ambush by unknown gunmen and two people got injured. One person died on the spot and another died on the way when the police came to rescue the situation. One is from Burundi and the other one from Turkana. The vehicles were all burnt; one was an oil tanker and another a truck,” Lt. Clement said.
According to the officer, four people including three children are missing since the incident. However, he said the police and organized forces are patrolling the road.
Mundri East County Commissioner Margaret Fozia Emmanuel has condemned the killings and blamed it on the holdout opposition group, the National Salvation Front (NAS).
“Those who are traveling must listen to the army's advice. secondly, I want to tell the group in the bush, they should respect and implement the peace agreement. Citizens are tired of war," she said.
She further called on NAS to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement they signed and maintain peace in the area.
However, NAS spokesman Suba Samuel denied their involvement in the attack and instead blamed government soldiers for attacking civilians.
“Since 2015 when the government was formed they have no agenda of peace what they do is to loot civilians. Kiir's government only works to feed their families and tribe. At NAS, we are for the protection of civilians. The SSPDF are saying we are looting just because they are wondering how we are surviving here in the bush that is why they are accusing us of looting," he alleged.