By Taban Henry
A soldier belonging to the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) has been arrested for killing a civilian in Kansuk village of Nyepo payam of Central Equatoria State over the weekend.
In the same incident, a convoy of vehicles belonging to loggers was reportedly destroyed by unknown gunmen in Kajo-Keji County in Central Equatoria State.
The incident reportedly occurred around Kansuk area of Kajo-Keji County when the loggers driving heavy trucks allegedly bearing Ugandan number plates fell into an ambush.
A soldier and a civilian were reportedly killed in the attack that took place on Saturday last week.
The man has been identified as late Wani Phillip.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper in a telephone interview, Kenyi Erasto the Commissioner for Kajo-Keji County confirmed that a soldier linked to the killing of a civilian in Kansuk has been arrested.
He added that after hearing that a civilian was shot dead, he sent the soldiers, police and CIDs to the scene to investigate the matter but was identified that the soldier deployed in Kansuk was behind the killing of the civilian named Wani Phillip.
“What triggered the killing of the civilian according to the wife of the late Wani Phillip is the soldier whose nickname is Wasaka but known by the original name as Musa Lual who came and knocked at the door, asking bring the balance,” he said.
Erasto said the soldier was claiming for a balance of money after he bought a mattress.
According to the Commissioner, the wife to the late added that the man told them to enter the house as he planned to set fire on them but they rejected. Thereafter “he tied my husband after shooting three bullets up and later shot my husband” forcing her to run away to the nearby bushes.
“The person thereafter removed the dressing from my late husband after realizing that he had died and took all the money and decided to run away. I came back and realized that my husband is already dead and clothes removed but I decided to redress him but out of fear she decided to run away,” he narrated what the wife of the late said.
According to Erasto, the woman told them that the man came back but after realizing that the man has been redressed, he decided to run away.