Soldiers of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (Juba Faction) beat civilians and looted shops in the Mundri East County after an attack on a vehicle in which at least one person was killed. Overall two people were killed in events in the area in recent days.

Margret Fozia Emmanuel, member of parliament representing Mundri East in the Western Equatoria Assembly, confirmed the incidents which started Saturday and she said a local citizen and a driver have been killed and a vehicle was looted in Lozu Payam. After the killings she said shops were looted and now schools and markets remain closed.

“There is an incident of a vehicle which was looted [in Lozu Payam], the driver was killed by unknown gunmen and a civilian from the area also was shot. The civilian was shot first and then the driver of the vehicle was also shot. So this incident happened and the people are scared, the people are afraid, the people have stopped cultivating for the last three days. Livelihood of people is at stake,” she said.

“Shops were looted, people were beaten, the deputy executive officer of the payam was beaten in presence of the big man of the army, by one of the army. I think this is unbecoming. Because the army is where the citizens should go to get safety, but if the army is the one which is now beating civilians I think it is unbecoming.”

Margret condemned the incident and said the mandate of the army is to protect the citizens, not beat them.

She said that Mundri East MPs visited the deputy governor on Monday to complain about the incident and to complain about the beating of a state official in the presence of an SPLA officer.