Commissioner of Jebel Boma County killed in road ambush alongside 14 others

At least 15 people including the Commissioner of Jebel Boma County were on Tuesday killed in a road ambush staged by suspected armed youth from the Anyuak community in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA).
 
A map showing the location of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area in South Sudan.

By Awan Achiek

At least 15 people including the Commissioner of Jebel Boma County were on Tuesday killed in a road ambush staged by suspected armed youth from the Anyuak community in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA).

Abraham Kelang, the Minister of Information for Greater Pibor Administrative Area on Wednesday said that among the dead include, Jeremiah Lothiboi the Commissioner of Jebel Boma County and Kaka Thombum, the Deputy Commander of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) in GPAA.

 He said that the incident happened in Thort Payam when the convoy of the Commissioner that was heading to Jebel Boma from Takaro came under attack.

“15 people were killed in a road ambush in Jebel Boma County in a place called Takaro, and the 15 killed include the Commissioner of Jebel Boma County and the deputy commander of SSPDF,” Kelang told The Dawn on Wednesday.

“The ambush left four people injured, we found out that the people who carried out the ambush are from Anyuak community and these are the same group who killed the Commissioner last year with the Director of National Security Services,” he disclosed.

Kelang said that relative calm returned to Jebel Boma County after security was stepped up along the road.

“Good enough, we have full details because the bodyguard of the Commissioner shot one of the attackers who died on spot, we took the photo of the deceased at the crime scene,” he said.

In June 2023, armed youth shot dead Samuel Ojulu Ochalla, the Commissioner of Pochalla South County in Greater Pibor Administrative Area and two of his body guards prompting the government to launch an investigation.

Greater Pibor Administrative Area and neighboring Jonglei State have been experiencing insecurity characterized in the form retaliatory violence, involving cattle raiding, revenge killings and child abduction.

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