Police authorities in Malakal town of South Sudan’s Upper Nile State have arrested a suspect in connection to the murders of a top-ranking army official and a church leader last week.
Last Wednesday, Brigadier General Arop Okeio and South Sudan Council of Churches coordinator for Upper Nile Mr. Juliano Ambrose were gunned down in the town of Malakal. No arrests were immediately made after the incident.
But speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, Nyok Bol, the acting state police commissioner, said a soldier has been arrested in connection to the killings.
“A day after the incident, we arrested a soldier suspected to have been involved in the killing. The soldier is a bodyguard to the slain general. In the military, when a boss gets into a problem, the immediate person to be held accountable is the guard,” he said.
He added, “Investigations are now ongoing. In our preliminary findings, it was established that the guard left his boss to an unknown location without prior permission on the evening of the incident. He also had a misunderstanding with the general.”
The police officer pointed out that they will provide information to the public as soon as the investigation finishes. He assured that Malakal is calm despite the incident.
For his part, Ajak Awer, the Secretary-General for Upper Nile State, confirmed the arrest, saying the investigation committee has yet to establish a finding into the incident.