A South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) soldier was on Tuesday night killed in the border town of Nadapal in Kapoeta East County in Eastern Equatoria State while guarding St. Patrick Secondary School which belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Torit.
The deceased, Corporal Moses Philip, according to county authorities, was deployed on guard duty at the secondary school when armed men attacked the school at around 9 pm, killed him, and took his gun.
The incident happened just a few days after the school sent students home for the Christmas holidays.
The Kapoeta East County police inspector, Major Polonia Lokidormoi, told radio Tamazuj Thursday morning that the identity of the attackers has not been established but that the police are investigating the matter.
“We have a soldier who was deployed to be guarding the secondary school in Nadapal, the day before yesterday (Tuesday) he was killed inside the school. He was killed by criminals and we are still following up to now,” Maj. Lokidormoi said. “He was a soldier, his name is Corporal Moses Philip from Western Equatoria’s Zande tribe.”
For his part, the Kapoeta East county commissioner, Abdallah Lokeno, confirms the incident and said his local administration has formed a committee of the organized forces to investigate the matter.
“Yesterday we formed a committee to follow the case. This is the first time such an issue happens in the town, the rest used to be outside the town,” Commissioner Lokeno said. “People should adhere to the peace agreement and our civilians should be security conscious because Christmas is coming. I have met the security forces so that all the roads are protected. I want to tell the population to celebrate as brothers and sisters.”