By William Madouk
Armed men shot dead fifteen people including the commissioner of Jebel Boma County, Jeremiah Lothiboi and an SSPDF area commander, Col, Kaka Thombum in an ambush in Takaro area of Rath payam, Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA).
According to the Minister of Information, Abraham Kelang late. Lothiboi, Thomnum and 14 other people were killed on Tuesday when their convoy was attacked by suspected Anyuak youth.
“They were coming back (Tuesday) from Rath, and after 10 Km distance in a place called Takaro they fell in an ambush leading to the killing of the commissioner and the rest, all number of deaths is 15,” Kelang told No.1 Citizen Newspaper on phone.
“Out of fifteen commissioner and deputy commander of SSPDF are killed including one woman and four others were injured,” he added.
He pointed an accusing finger at Anyuak armed youth for being behind the unfortunate incident.
“The government official found that attackers are from Anyuak youth group and we find it with full evidence because of one person that was shot from their side by the commissioner bodyguard is an Anyuak,” he claimed.
Mr. Kelang cited that this was the second time Anyuak armed youth attacked and killed government officials, for instance, he said last year the group killed Pochalla County commissioner along with a director of national security in Pibor.
He hinted that the motive of the rebellious group is a demand for separation from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, as Anyuak community.
“The aim of the youth is that they are demanding separation from Pibor and have their own Greater Pochalla Administrative area for Anyuak community, this is the aim the group have,” Kelang stated.
However, he explained that Anyuak and Murle are one people and they share a governance system in GPAA.
The GPAA information minister highlighted that as local authorities they would sit down to decide on how this matter would be handled, he also called on the community to shun violence as the government continue to probe the atrocity.
“My advice to GPAA community is that, that incident is very big lost and i would like to assure that as the government official will handle it, don’t retaliate and the government of Pibor and national think and decide the way forward,”
Also, members of the national parliament and council of States, who hail from greater Pibor said the assailants murdered the commissioner after he had a meeting with firms doing illegal mining in Rath area bordering Ethiopia.
“The purpose of the meeting was to address the illegal mining activities that were taking place without the permission of the government of South Sudan as well as the environmental pollution,” the area MPs said in a statement.
Legislators called on the national government to take swift action to investigate and ensure that culprits are held accountable.
“We also call upon the relevant authorities to address the issue of illegal mining activities and environmental pollution in Boma County to prevent such tragedies from happening again in the future,” they urged.