Ugandan nuns killed in South Sudan ambush

 

 

By Franklin Draku

Five people have been confirmed dead after gunmen yesterday ambushed them on Juba-Nimule road. According to information Daily Monitor gathered last evening, the people were ambushed while travelling from Loa Parish in Torit Diocese, Eastern Equatoria Province in South Sudan, for the Loa Parish Centenary Celebrations.

The dead were identified as Sr Mary Aboud, who had been Mother Superior for 12 years, and a one Sr Regina. The third person, only identified as Leone, was burnt in the car they were travelling in.

The forth person, a boda boda rider, was knocked dead by a truck fleeing the attack.  The other victim had not been identified by press time.

The office of the Governor of Eastern Equatoria Province last evening said Joakino Francis, a former journalist, who was driving a bus ahead of the nuns, escaped the attack with other passengers.

Sr Regina and Leo are said to be Ugandans.

Reports indicated that the body of Sr Aboud had already been delivered to Juba, while that of Sr Regina was still being taken to the capital Juba.

“It’s sad to inform you that after a colourful celebration yesterday, things have turned ugly today. [There were] Ambushes [on] Juba Nimule Road. Two religious sisters [were] killed…,” a source privy to the ambush, but preferred anonymity, said.

“The body of Sr Regina has just been recovered where she bled to death in the nearby bush where they were ambushed. My cousin Leone was killed and burnt in the vehicle. The vehicle is still on fire. My mom and my sister have just passed the incident site now. They are on their way back to Juba. Mother Superior Sr Alice Jurugo was still at Loa. I travelled back last night in the Convoy of the Vice President. We pray for the souls of the departed,” the source added.

The Ugandan government was yet to issue a statement about the incident. Both Gen Jeje Odongo, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his junior Henry Oryem Okello, did not respond to our calls last evening. 

The known telephone number of Brig Gen Flavia Byekwaso was not available by press time. In Juba, Mr Daniel Justine Buolo, a police spokesperson, while speaking to Xinhua News Agency in Juba, said: “What happened on Juba-Nimule road is very unfortunate. A car was ambushed [at] around 10am and as a result, three people died. One was burnt in the car and another one died on the way after being rushed to Aru-Junction hospital,” Mr Buolo said, adding that no arrests had been made so far.

The deaths come a week after attacks on the same road left two people dead and three others injured.It is not clear who the masterminds of the attacks are. Police in Juba yesterday said no one had claimed responsibility and that they had not arrested anyone in connection with the incident.

Last week, after clashes between rival factions of South Sudan Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) in South Sudan, sources inside the camp of First Lt Gen Simon Gatwech Dual said they would carry ambushes on the Juba-Nimule route if South Sudan Vice President Dr Riek  Machar continued to cling onto power.

Sources on the ground, however, said shortly after the ambush, soldiers from South Sudan raided the area and arrested a number of people suspected to be the gunmen and led them to bushes for execution. This version could not, however, be independently verified.

At Loa Parish, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and a number of government officials and other dignitaries, attended the centenary celebrations. The fete had drawn thousands of Christian revelers from far and wide, including Adjumani, Moyo, and Amuru districts in Uganda.

At the celebrations, President Kiir commended the Church for the position it has taken in providing moral and spiritual direction to the people of South Sudan. A statement issued by the Presidential Press Unit said the President urged the faithful to continue to be the voice of peace building. 

“The President also appealed to the residents of Eastern Equatoria State and across the country who are still in refugee camps to come home and join hands in the development of the country,” the statement said. Shortly after the celebration, the vice president’s convoy reportedly travelled to Juba by road without any incident. 

The road was reopened after the morning ambush, clearing way for normal business.   Rebel clashesTwo weeks ago, deadly fighting erupted between rival factions in SPLA-IO pitting forces loyal to Dr Machar against the renegade First Lt Gen Gatwech.

The clashes erupted after DR Machar’s rivals declared that they had deposed him as the head of the party and its military forces.  Lives were lost and hundreds injured. President Salva Kiir later on held meetings with the leaders of the factions and ordered them to stay clear and observe ceasefire.

The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad), the United Nations Mission in South Sudan “UNMISS), and a number of other agencies issued a joint communique, urging all the parties to restrain from fighting.The group commended President Kiir for the immediate cessation of hostilities within the SPLM/A-IO as well as the amicable resolution of the existing dispute.

“This proactive step is yet another manifestation of the capability of the leadership of the Republic of South Sudan to tackle the challenges and issues afflicting the country and of their resolve not to relapse to conflict,’’ part of the communique states.

Chapter Two of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) calls for Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements, which is the backbone of the Revitalised Agreement. The communiques says the full implementation of the provisions of this section of the Peace Agreement without further delay, is expected to significantly reduce incidents of fighting and clashes throughout the country, and create an enabling environment for the implementation of the remaining Chapters of the R-ARCSS.

S. Sudan has been embroiled in a string of wars shortly after it gained independence in 2011. Attempts aimed at peacefully resolving the conflicts seem to be on rocky grounds after continued delays in the implementation of the 2018 agreement signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Killings of Ugandans in S.Sudan this year

At least nine Ugandans were killed on March 29 after they were ambushed in South Sudan. Two weeks earlier, South Sudanese gunmen had killed eight fishermen at Odujo Landing Site in Kajo-Keji County, on River Nile shared by Uganda and South Sudan.

On April 1, five Ugandans were killed and three others injured when gunmen ambushed a convoy of trucks returning to Uganda on the Juba-Nimule Road. A military officer at a checkpoint on the Juba-Nimule Road reported the three trucks were ambushed about 6 am in Kit 2 area.

Around the same time, four Uganda truck drivers were also killed on Yei-Juba road after unknown gunmen ambushed them.