The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Eastern Equatoria State Secretariat has vehemently condemned the recent ambush on its delegates along the Camp 15-Chukudum road.
In a statement to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, Siro Silvio Ewak, SPLM State Spokesman, said, “My party is shocked and deeply saddened by the 29th May 2024 barbaric incident of Ngarera Lohipor Boma, Homiri Payam of Budi County where the vehicle carrying the president’s endorsement delegates fell in an ambush in Budi County as they returned to Chukudum resulting in the loss of two innocent lives and leaving a young girl with injuries.”
He called on security organs to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous act are brought to book.
“It should be clear that unnecessary killings on our roads are unacceptable and are lawfully punishable. To the aggrieved families, SPLM Eastern Equatoria State Secretariat firmly stands with you and Budi County Local Government at this moment. To God, we belong, and to him we shall all go. May the innocent souls of our beloved departed brother and sister rest in the eternity of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Ewak said.
Oryem Solomon Abalang, a priest at the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS), claimed some insecurity incidents were politically motivated.
“Some of the youths have been influenced by some of our leaders, whom we expect to unite so that they focus on peace, but they are doing such things. Cattle raiding also motivates people, but political attitudes are the main ones that trigger this. Secondly, poor implementation of the peace agreement has allowed communities to own guns,” he said.
SSPDF Spokesperson Lul Ruai Koang said the triangle along camp 15, Kideopo, has been experiencing insecurity incidents from armed civilians and dismissed claims the gangs were rebels.
“We do not have any rebels in that part of the country. We only have NAS rebels in Magwi, here in Juba County and Yei River County; most of the communities, as mentioned earlier on, are still armed, and that is the reason they have been causing insecurity from time to time, so the long-term solution will be disarming the whole communities in eastern Equatoria state that are armed that is one,” the SSPDF spokes said
He added, “Once it is done, don’t they deserve protection from neighbours across the country? For instance, the Toposas are threatened by Karamojong in Uganda, and sometimes they do cross-border raids. They are threatened by Turkana, Murle, so as much as it is a national problem, it is also a regional problem.”
The army spokesman said the army, in collaboration with the state government, deploys forces in hotspot areas on a need basis.