Two killed in Rumbek ambush of MP’s car

December 1, 2012 (RUMBEK) – A group of unidentified gunmen killed two businessmen from neighbouring Unity State at 7am on Saturday morning in Pulkuc, located in western part of Rumbek East County of Lakes state, when the car of a local MP was attacked.

Makuac Adhil MP told Sudan Tribune that a student at Rumbek National Senior secondary school, David Jet Apin, had been driving his car to the South Sudanese capital Juba for repairs, when the incident occurred.

After Jet’s departure from Rumbek to Juba, the MP said he had “no idea” whether he picked people up along the way and it was “a very big surprise”, not only that the car was hijacked in Rumbek East County, but that two Nuer men from Unity State had been travelling in the car and were “taken out and killed” by the gunmen.

Rumbek East County Commissioner, David Marial Gumke, said that the “two men were killed and their belongings in the car were also looted”. He said that a thorough investigation will be carried out.

Lakes State’s police department for Criminal Investigation (CID) recorded the incident as a “gang ambush” in its report, which said: the two young men from Nuer of Bentiu were killed were killed at 7am. The dead bodies and another Nuer man who was wounded in the attack have been taken to Lakes State hospital, the police report said.

Commissioner Gumke said the ambush may have been in retaliation for an attack last week that killed the son of the former chief of Rumbek East County, Matur Waro. However, he said that the facts should be established through a thorough investigation.

(ST)