By Emelda Siama John Lopula
At least two engineers sustained bullet wounds on Saturday after a car belonging to South African giant Mobile Telecom Company (MTN) came under attack in Tore Payam, Yei River County.
The incident reportedly occurred 9 miles away from Yei town, towards Tore Payam.
The incident was an attack by bandits on an MTN car that was carrying two engineers going to fix an antenna in Tore Payam when the MTN car came under attack.
Yei River County commissioner, Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa, said the incident happened 9 miles away from Yei town, along Maridi Road.
“The two engineers who sustained bullet injuries have been transferred to Juba for treatment,” the commissioner said.
According to the commissioner, the five attackers armed with guns were linked to the National Salvation Front (NAS).
He noted that it was not the first, but fifth attack purportedly linked to the NAS rebels in Yei County.
“The security identified that they were five armed men, which they have followed, and the civilians know them all by names, to be the armed group of NAS of Thomas Cirilo,” Mr. Cyrus alleged.
“In an effort to create security stability, we have the commanders of the SSPDF, and the commanders of the NAS engaged in local dialogues, but before it was done, the attacks started in Yei County,” he said.
He stressed that the armed group needs to respect the terms of the association dialogues that were signed between the NAS and the Government of the Republic of South Sudan.
Commissioner noted it as unfortunate that the people of Yei were expecting a positive response for peace.
However, the reported incidents have targeted civilians, businessmen, and clerics.
“I want to call on NAS to seek peace, to seek dialogues, and to reconcile so that they join peace in South Sudan, join the constitution-making process, and be part of government formation during the elections.” Cyrus further appealed.
“There is nothing that they will benefit from killing civilians; I don’t know whether their rebellions are against civilians or against government systems,” he added.
This latest attack follows other two recent road ambushes registered in greater Yei River areas and local authorities blamed it all on the NAS rebel.
On June 6 bandits reportedly killed one person and set three motorbikes ablaze, in a road ambush, around Mitika area along Yei-Lasu Road in Yei River County.
The bandits had launched an earlier attack on the car of bishop of Morobo Diocese of Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS), Central Equatoria State Internal Province, survived but his car torched.