The authorities in Western Equatoria State have confirmed the killing of two civilians by unknown gunmen in Ndavuro, near the state capital, Yambio, on Tuesday evening and said they are investigating the matter.
Speaking to journalists in Yambio on Wednesday morning, Acting Police Commissioner General Samuel Tet stated that one of the victims was a catechist. The attack occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. in Dibura, a remote village located about 9 kilometres from Yambio Town, when a group of armed men stormed the village and opened fire, killing the two victims.
“The attack happened deep inside the bush, far from the main road,” he said. Security forces later recovered the bodies and transported them to the hospital for a postmortem.
General Tet assured the public that security forces are working to deploy personnel to the affected area to protect civilians.
“We are assessing the situation, and the government will take necessary measures to enhance security,” he said.
For his part, Yambio Municipality Mayor John Singira strongly condemned the killings and urged the communities to embrace peace and focus on development.
“We must stop these senseless killings because fighting has no benefit,” he said, and asked: “If you kill your fellow citizen, who will take care of their children?”
Mayor Singira also revealed that one of the deceased was a well-known regular caller to local radio programs. He however admitted that details about the exact number of casualties were still being verified.
One of the victims’ relatives, Gambori Kumba, confirmed that his brother, Luka Batakpanigbon, was one of the two people killed. He appealed to the government to urgently send security forces to protect villagers, citing growing fear and panic among residents.
Authorities have launched an investigation to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice. Meanwhile, local leaders are urging communities to cooperate with security forces to ensure peace and stability in the region.