South Sudanese social media personality Akuach Wol was shot and injured on Monday afternoon when unidentified gunmen opened fire on her vehicle in the capital Juba, her family said.
The attack took place around 1 p.m. as Wol was driving from Hai Tijariya to her office near J1, the presidential complex. Several rounds struck her vehicle at close range. She was later found to have been hit in the thigh, her sister, Adut Wol, told Radio Tamazuj.
“She was shot in the thigh. When I regained consciousness after the shooting incident, I was told she had already been taken to the hospital by the Office of the President,” Adut said.
Adut said the shooting appeared to be linked to what she described as recent online disputes. She accused supporters of former vice president for the economic cluster, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, of targeting her sister after she publicly defended President Salva Kiir and commented on Bol Mel’s dismissal.
“My sister has faced increasing hostility over the past week due to remarks she made on social media,” she said. “It is clear these attackers are known. Some of them have even issued threats.”
She said several bullets struck her sister’s thigh during the attack.
Other sources told Radio Tamazuj that Wol was being sought by the National Security Service (NSS) as part of a broader crackdown on political social media livestreamers.
Several online commentators — including Akot Matuongdit, Amath Jok and Deng Nice King — were detained last week on accusations of fueling tension on social media.
Wol is receiving treatment in hospital and is in stable condition, according to family members.
Tensions have been rising between supporters of former vice president Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel and those backing President Kiir in the days leading up to Bol Mel’s removal last Wednesday.
Bol Mel, a high-profile businessman whose rapid rise brought him to one of the country’s highest offices, saw his political fortunes collapse last week. In a presidential decree, Kiir not only dismissed him as second vice president and first deputy chairman of the ruling SPLM party, but also stripped him of the four-star general rank he received in September 2025.
The president also dismissed Bol Mel from South Sudan’s National Security Service.