Eastern Equatoria State governor survives assassination

March 30, 2021 (TORIT) – The Governor of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria, Louis Lobong Lojore escaped an assassination attempt on the Torit highway on Sunday, his aide confirmed Tuesday.

According to the governor’s press secretary Aliandro Lotok, Lobong and the state Minister of Information, Martin Oting Cyprian were attacked on their way to Buya County to meet youth who blocked roads in the area.

The attack on his convoy resulted into the death of two people, one of whom was the wife of the area army commander who accompanied the governor’s entourage.

The governor was travelling from Budi County to his native hometown of Kapoeta for talks with members of his ethnic Toposa about the same mission.

No one knows the motive behind the attack, which state officials largely blamed on armed youth from Budi County.

The deputy spokesman of the army, Santo Domic said the situation was now under control and the army had managed to extract the governor from the area in which he restricted movement.

“Because of his safety and safety of his entourage, the governor was advised to go to one of barracks in the area which he did. He spent the night there under our protection. Now he has been extracted”, he told Sudan Tribune Tuesday.

Meanwhile, analysts attributed the assassination attempt on Lobong’s life to a recent attack on Lowareng cantonment in which a top military officer from the armed opposition (SPLM-IO) was killed.

As a result, the local youth from Lobong’s ethnic group believe the governor was targeted in possible revenge on a high-profile person.

According to previous reports, the routine of intercommunal clashes in many parts of South Sudan prevails due to lack of an efficient justice system in the young nation.

(ST)