South Sudan policeman kills Ugandan traders official
September 6, 2007 (JUBA) — The vice-chairman of the Ugandan traders in Juba was stabbed to death by a Sudanese policeman on Wednesday, the New Vision reported.
Nicholas Tony Makayi, who hails from Bududa District, was killed when he pleaded with Sudanese policemen to stop flogging a Ugandan youth. The youth had suddenly crossed the road and a speeding police vehicle narrowly missed him.
As Makayi tried to intervene, one of the policemen drove a sword through his ribs and ripped open his stomach. He died on the spot. The chairman of the Ugandan community in Juba, Abbey Mayanja, said the incident happened at about 2:00 p.m. in Jabel-kuju, a new market where Ugandans who were recently evicted from customs market had moved. “The body has been taken to Juba Hospital Mortuary and we have taken up the matter with the Uganda consulate here,” Mayanja said on telephone yesterday. The policeman was arrested.
When the youth crossed the road, the enraged policemen jumped off their vehicle and assaulted him, accusing him of trying to cause an accident. “I am told that the policemen also turned on Makayi and began beating him and he tried to defend himself, then one policeman stabbed him,” Mayanja said.
Several other Ugandans who joined the fracas were also injured.
The head of chancery at the Uganda consulate in Juba, Habib Migadde, described the incident as shocking. “The circumstances are not yet clear but he was trying to save some Ugandan who was being flogged,” Migadde said.
The consulate, he said, reported the matter to the South Sudan Ministry for Internal Affairs and the inspector general of police. “We are in touch with people who can help. The police is investing the matter,” Migadde said. He added that torrential rains that battered Juba yesterday afternoon had slowed down the efforts. Migadde said a postmortem report would be out today and the police would clear the transportation of the body to Uganda.
The incident comes after hundreds of Ugandans travelling in a convoy survived death on Sunday [2 September] when gunmen attacked their convoy heading to Juba on the Nimule-Juba road.
In October 2006, five Ugandans, among them a baby, were killed when gunmen opened fire at their vehicle. In January this year, hundreds of Ugandans travelling in convoy in southern Sudan were attacked with rocket propelled grenades, injuring 10 people.
Two vehicles were set ablaze. Uganda and southern Sudan enjoy a cordial relationship and since the opening of the Kampala-Juba trade route, business has doubled.
(New Vision)