At least seven people were killed in a road ambush carried out by an armed youth group in Uror County, Jonglei state on Friday, local authorities and the police said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Machot Gatluak Kenyjak, the Uror County commissioner, said the deceased met their fate when the vehicle they were traveling in from Gadiang to Yuai town was waylaid at Luorbiendeng Friday morning.
“There was a humanitarian convoy moving from Gadiang to Yuai. Between Paleng and Pamai, one of the vehicles carrying some civilians was sprayed with bullets at a close range,” Commissioner Machot said. “Seven people including an assistant driver were killed.”
He pointed out that the rest of the convoy escaped unhurt.
“The vehicle which was attacked was also looted and only the driver survived. Fortunately, other vehicles were not attacked. They reached safely,” he said.
Lt. Col. Peter Gatbel Machar, the county police inspector, condemned the attack which he said was carried out by men in green military fatigue, and that none was arrested because they escaped to the bush after the incident.
For his part, Ter Manyang, an activist with the civil society organization Centre for Peace and Advocacy, decried the rising violence in Jonglei and said it could be tackled through government investment in peace.
“Dialogue has been done in Jonglei but it has not been targeting the right people. There is a need for Nuer-Nuer, Dinka-Dinka, and Murle-Murle dialogues before bringing all of them together, not people from Juba,” he said.
Ter added. “Again, the reasons for this violence are that there is a total breakdown of law, that is, government systems are not functional and there are no good roads.”