By Charles K Mark
Commissioner of Kajo-Keji County in Central Equatoria State condemns an ambush which resulted in the loss of life of a civilian and a soldier, over the weekend.
The attack by gunmen on a truck transporting logs in an area close to the border with Uganda’s Moyo district, also left two other people injured.
Phanuel Dumo Jame said in a statement that those killed were accompanying the vehicle belonging to a contracted company, Clintwood General Traders.
“For the last five days, ten (10) staff members of Clintwood General Traders and three (3) security personnel provided by the authorities were in Kangapo, Payam, Litoba Boma, and Dindiro Village to mobilize the impounded logs due for sale,” he stated.
He said the attack allegedly launched by the National Salvation Front (NAS) forces occurred on January 18, 2024, when ten staff members of the company and three security officers went to mobilize impounded logs.
“At around 5:47 PM, on their way back to Litoba Boma, a group of NAS rebels armed with AK47 and RPG laid an ambush, killing one soldier, Kiri Moses, and one civilian, Scopus Kenyi, wounding two civilians, and burning down the truck,” Phanuel said.
The commissioner urged the communities affected to remain calm and allow authorities to pursue the perpetrators.
The County Authority, through an order No. 003/2023, had assigned Clintwood Company to sell logs that were cut by loggers on behalf of the government, after which the governor banned the activity in 2022.
The commissioner said he had made the directive mindful of gubernatorial order No. 12/2020, which banned the illegal cutting and exporting of logs by unlicensed companies.