Raja County Commissioner James Benjamin said they have deployed security forces in the county after the incident in which five journalists working for state-run media in South Sudan's Western Bahr al Ghazal State were among 13 people killed recently.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj yesterday, Benjamin said the security situation in the county is stable. However, he said they are unable to secure the whole county. He explained that the security was stepped up in the towns only.

The top county official admitted that it is difficult to pursue criminal groups that bother the citizens in the area.

Benjamin accused the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) of laying the ambush on the two SPLA vehicles on 15 January and his convoy along the Sapo-Raja road. He survived the latter attack in which 13 others were killed.

He pointed out that they also asked for more logistical and security support from the state government during a briefing to the state cabinet over the last two days in Wau town.