An unidentified assailant targeted the residence of the acting commissioner of Maban County in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State on Saturday evening in an attempted assassination, according to police and community leaders.
Isaac Chol, Maban County’s police commissioner, told Radio Tamazuj that the attacker threw a hand grenade at the home of Younis Tiop, the acting commissioner, but no injuries were reported.
“The police are searching for the culprit who threw and detonated the grenade,” Mr. Chol said. “The incident occurred at around 9:15 pm on Saturday in Bunj town, the headquarters of Maban County. The acting commissioner was staying at the residency belonging to the county headquarters at the time but is in good health and unharmed.”
Mr. Chol added that the security situation in the area remains generally calm, though police are working to investigate the motives behind the attack. He confirmed that authorities have swiftly responded to the scene and implemented security measures while pursuing the suspect.
Chief Jumma Lagi, the paramount chief of Maban County, condemned the attack, describing it as an unprecedented act in the area.
“What happened to the acting commissioner is unfortunate because such an incident has never occurred before. As the native administration, we condemn it in the strongest terms possible,” Chief Lagi said.
He expressed relief that the acting commissioner was unharmed, attributing it to divine intervention. Chief Lagi emphasized that such incidents are alien to the local community, which he said has historically been peaceful.
However, he highlighted the challenges facing the county due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan and its spillover effects on border areas like Maban.
“We don’t have a commissioner appointed to take charge of the security situation in the county, so we call on the authorities to appoint one,” Chief Lagi said.
He accused certain groups opposed to peace of attempting to destabilize the county and noted that the absence of a permanent commissioner since the dismissal of Peter Alberto, the SPLM-IO-appointed commissioner, has negatively impacted security in the area.