The Acholi Community in South Sudan has demanded swift justice following the shooting dead of Engineer Conty Okot, a senior civil servant at the Ministry of Petroleum, describing his death as a targeted assassination.
In a press statement, Acholi Community Chairman David Otim said Eng. Okot was brutally murdered in cold blood on Monday, 19 January 2026, between 7 and 8 a.m. along the Custom–Rock City Road in Juba, while travelling in his official government vehicle.
Eng. Okot, who was recently appointed Managing Director of the South Sudan Pipeline Company Limited, was described by the community as the longest-serving civil servant in the Ministry of Petroleum.
According to Otim, the manner of the killing suggests it was premeditated. He expressed deep concern that the national authorities responsible for criminal justice had not released any official statement detailing the circumstances surrounding the assassination.
“We condemn this criminal act carried out in the middle of the town against an innocent civil servant in the strongest terms,” Otim stated.
He called on authorities to expedite investigations and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to face the full force of the law.
The Acholi Community urged the government to uphold the rule of law and restore public confidence by ensuring accountability, warning that delays and silence could further undermine trust in state institutions.
Otim also appealed to members of the Acholi Community to remain calm as they await the outcome of official investigations.
The community extended condolences to the family of the deceased, including his parents, wife, children, relatives, and colleagues at the Ministry of Petroleum, and prayed for strength and comfort during the period of mourning.
Eng. Okot’s killing has renewed concerns over the safety of public officials and civilians in Juba, amid growing calls for justice and transparency.
When reached for comments, Betty Achan Ogwaro, a relative of the deceased, told Radio Tamazuj that the family will make a formal statement after gathering more information about the killing.
“The family up to now does not know what exactly happened, and they are still collecting information. The family cannot at a moment say anything, so we are still investigating before we can make an official statement,” she said. “We have opened a case, but we also want to strengthen the case because we need more information. There is information coming, but we have to filter out, because you get a lot of information, but some are false, some are true, we have to filter before we make any conclusion.”