WFP driver killed during ambush in South Sudan

Jan 11, 2007 (JUBA) — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said
today that it is deeply saddened and shocked by the killing of one of its
employees during an ambush in southern Sudan on Wednesday, January 10.

The WFP employee, Emmanuel Chaku Joseph, was 28 years old. He is the first
WFP staff member to have been murdered in Sudan in years.

“WFP deplores the cold-blooded and senseless killing of a man who was
working to help his country after many years of war,” said WFP Executive
Director, James Morris. “The thoughts and prayers of WFP staff are with Mr.
Joseph’s family at this time,” he added.

“Mr. Joseph’s death marks a set back to all those who value peace and
prosperity in southern Sudan, and is yet another example of daily outbreaks
of violence which threaten the future stability of the region,” said WFP
Sudan representative, Kenro Oshidari.

Joseph was a Sudanese national employed by WFP as a driver. He was
assigned to drive for a WFP engineer who oversees a section of road being
built by a German development organization, GTZ, under a WFP contract. WFP
is building close to 3,000 kilometers of roads in southern Sudan at a cost
of more than $200 million and contracts work out to organizations including
GTZ to help carry out the project.

The ambush occurred when Joseph was travelling in a pickup truck on the
road between Juba, the capital of southern Sudan, and the town of Torit,
where GTZ has a roadside camp.

Southern Sudan is classified as Phase 3 under the United Nations security
system, which means UN staff are required to adhere to strict security
procedure.

In accordance with that procedure, Joseph was travelling with an armed
escort provided by the southern Sudanese army, the Sudan People’s
Liberation Army (SPLA).

Joseph, who was not driving the car at the time of the ambush, was
travelling in the pickup with three GTZ employees and the SPLA soldiers..
One of the GTZ employees and two of the soldiers were wounded during the
attack.

The pickup left Juba at approximately 10am on Wednesday. At approximately
11.30am, the pickup was ambushed by a number of unknown gunmen who fired
automatic weapons at the car. The body of Joseph was returned to Juba
later in the day.

WFP employs 420 people in southern Sudan, most of whom are Sudanese
nationals. In 2007 WFP will feed approximately two million people in
southern Sudan.

(WFP)