A group of criminals on Friday attacked a group of bodyguards of Western Equatoria State Governor Gen. Alfred Futuyo who were traveling along the Yambio-Tambura Road killing one person while four others, including a woman, were injured.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj at the weekend, State Information Minister Isaac Mursal confirmed the incident and said the security forces have been deployed along the road to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to book.
“The incident which happened yesterday (Friday) in Tambura at 5 p.m. is that two motorcycles fell in an ambush by criminals in the area called Moso. Out of the six passengers, one person called Malish who is a National Security Service officer who was a bodyguard of the governor was shot dead and four others were injured, including a woman,” he said. “The other four who were injured have been taken to Yambio and Tambura for treatment after the intervention of security forces from Tambura who came and rescued the victims.”
Minister Mursal added: “The attackers who are criminals went away with the two motorbikes and properties of the victims.”
He referred to the incident as an isolated case that should not be mistaken for the Intercommunal conflict in the past in Tambura and urged the citizens to be calm and get involved in revenge attacks.
“The state government is calling upon the citizens to be calm while the organized forces pursue the perpetrators to make sure they are brought to book,” he stated. “The state government urges the public not to consider the incident as a tribal attack and no tribe should attack another in revenge because the state government is following the perpetrators. The Government of Western Equatoria State sends condolences to the family of late Malish.”
Minister Mursal said the governor’s bodyguards were riding to Tambura to visit their families.