The minister of parliamentary affairs in Jonglei State, Nyalella John Chuol, escaped unhurt after a government vehicle came under attack by armed assailants near the Mogiri military post along the Juba-Bor Highway on Sunday evening.
She told Radio Tamzuj on Monday that the attackers were in military uniform and that their motive was unknown.
“I started leaving Juba for Bor on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. to attend a meeting there the following day. A few minutes into our journey on the outskirts of Mogiri, we were attacked,” she narrated. “Here is how the attack happened. First, three men emerged from the bush one by one and started opening fire on my car. To our right, two more armed men emerged and joined in the shooting, and three others to our left. Our car did not stop because I asked the driver to continue driving.”
Minister Nyalella added, “After we drove for a few minutes, the car broke down because it sustained damages to its engine and I then picked up my handbag containing my identity cards and ran away. My driver also left everything including the car’s key and we both ran away.”
The government official said the assailants looted all their personal belongings after the forced stop.
“After our car broke down, these attackers went to the vehicle and started looting everything. Everything was looted, the only thing I salvage is my handbag and this phone I used to speak to you. As we were running away, we met soldiers from Mogiri rushing to the incident scene,” she said. “These soldiers saw for themselves as my car was being looted by five armed men in military uniforms. While on the roadside, a car belonging to the church that was passing by picked us up and dropped us at Mogiri military post.”
Minister Nyalella revealed that she had filed a case with the police in Juba.
“No one knows the motive of the attack. Up to now, they are still using my other phone. When one calls, they decline to pick or they pick up and start insulting in Arabic. I opened a case with the Malakia Police Division and investigations are underway,” she said.
On his part, Biel Jiek Lual, the press secretary in the governor’s office, said Governor Mahjoub Biel Turuk was aware of the incident and that the state government would help investigate.
“The governor is aware and more details are being collected. An investigation is now ongoing and no one has been arrested so far. The car is damaged and still on the highway.”