Gunmen attack passengers on Yei-Kaya road , leave one wounded

March 13, 2016 (YEI) – One person was wounded when armed men ambushed passengers traveling along Yei-Kaya road in South Sudan’s Yei River state on Saturday.

Some unspecified money sums, eye witnesses said, were lost in the attack. The incident occurred in between Yari and Legi bomas in Mugwo payam.

“We were group of local traders who are travelling from Yei town to Morobo county to buy local food staff for business there. When we reached between Yari and Legi nearing to Jombo area, we saw one gun man appear in front of us and told us to stop,” narrated a survivor.

“Shortly we saw other men with guns while others without guns and they asked us do you know us. We said no, they ordered us to get into the bush a distance more than five hundred meters off the road. They told us to sleep down in which we responded quickly,” he added.

Speaking to reporters in relation to the incident, the Yei River county commissioner, Samuel Henry Malimbo said although they made no arrest, security forces have been deployed in the area to patrol the highway.

“These people were armed in uniforms while others [were] without. According to reports, there were more than 20 men. They stopped four motorcycles, took passengers about 500 meters into the bush and robbed money. A woman shot on the leg is now under treatment”, said Malimbo.

He said security forces were deployed to the area following the incident.

“We have sent some soldiers to the incident area and the security situation is now normal. Let our people not worry, we still don’t know these people but our intelligence are working hard to find out who these people are and where they are going,” stressed the commissioner.

The Yei county police inspector, Jeremiah Makier strongly condemned the incident.

“We have been having stable security over the past weeks, but now there are some individuals who are trying to cause another problem here. I want to call up the citizens in Yei River county to cooperate with the security personnel by providing [information on] any unusual movement of people with guns and threatening lives of the ordinary citizen”, Makier.

A business man, only identified as Mawa, urged government to improve security among the citizens.

“We have been crying for peace [and] now the peace [deal] has been signed. Why is it that there are attacks, lootings and killing of incident lives of people on high ways? If possible let governments improve economic conditions of the people so that such attacks can stop,” said Mawa.

“We need the peace be implemented as soon as possible so that suffering ends,” he added.

(ST)