Civil society leader Edmund Yakani has condemned ethnic targeting of passengers in a roadside ambush carried out this past weekend on South Sudan's Yei-Juba road.

South Sudan's army has estimated 30 people were killed and 20 others injured in ambush on the Juba-Yei road on Saturday.

Yakani, the executive director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) in strong terms condemned the killing of innocent civilians and specifically on ethnic ground.

“These incidents constituted crime against humanity. It is high time for South Sudan to embrace peaceful co-existence with turning into violent approach as a means of resolving their grievances or political tensions,” he said in a press release.

Yakani said he was disturbed by the recent violence and added, “Targeting civilians and ethnic group is unacceptable act. There is need to abstain from this culture of violence and ethnic targeting.”

“We should embrace the approach of resolving disputes non-violently. Violence always never gains and it offers more harm on humanity,” added the civil society leader.