Three Sudanese truck drivers killed in Akobo road ambush

By Awan Achiek

Three Sudanese truck drivers have been confirmed killed in road ambush by suspected armed Murle youth in Akobo County of Jonglei State.

Mhamad Chuol Peter, the Director General for Jonglei State Ministry of Information and Communication said the attack which occurred on Friday, last week also left three other people wounded.

“It happened in a place called Kailuinya Boma of Akobo County, where four truck drivers including three foreign nationals who were travelling from Walgak going to Akobo town were attacked by suspected Murle criminals,” Chuol told The Dawn in an interview on Sunday.

He said the killings violate the March 2021 peace agreement reached between the people of Jonglei State and Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA).

“The incident happened at a wrong time when people of Greater Lou and people of Greater Agor and Pangak were at peace with Murle,” Chuol said.

He called for the deployment of security forces across at the border separating Jonglei State and GPAA, to prevent attacks, cattle raiding and child abduction.

“This is a very big challenge that needs the involvement of the government to at least deploy security agents across the border between these two areas, such that they can prevent any attack or looting of cattle or child abduction,” Chuol said.

“The existing peace agreement is not a solution to the problem that we are facing in Jonglei, but the deployment of army and security agents across the border between Jonglei and GPAA is the right solution to be done,” he said.

Chuol said that Puok Nyang, the Commissioner of Akobo County, has sent security forces to Kailuinya to beef up security.

When contacted for comment, Abraham Kelang, the Minister for Information in Greater Pibor Administrative Area said he was not yet aware of the incident allegedly perpetrated by Murle youth from his area.