By Manas James Okony
A convoy of two International Organization for Migration (IOM) vehicles has been attacked in Duk County, Jonglei State.
The incident, on Friday morning, that resulted to injury of a driver, underscored the state’s reputation as a perilous area for humanitarian operations.
According to Duk County Commissioner John Chatiem Ruei, the convoy was en route to Duk Padiet Town to transport staff who had just completed vital repair work on a dyke designed to protect Poktap from flooding.
The attack occurred at Mareng Junction, on the outskirts of Poktap. The first vehicle of the convoy was ambushed, while the second managed to evade the attackers, who fled into the surrounding brush upon spotting it.
“The convoy of two IOM vehicles was taking some staff to Duk Padiet Town after having finished repair work on a dyke here in Poktap,” Commissioner Chatiem explained. “The driver of the first vehicle was critically injured. Those attackers fled into the bushes after seeing the next vehicle advancing.”
In the immediate aftermath, the injured driver received first aid at a local health facility before being transported to a United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) facility in Bor for treatment of his gunshot wounds, said the commissioner.
Commissioner Chatiem speculated that the attackers were likely youth from Pibor, suggesting that their use of the Murle dialect and their hasty retreat towards the east provides evidence of their identity. “No one else could have carried out the attack apart from Pibor youth. Their fleeing east and speaking in Murle dialect was evidence linking the attackers to GPAA,” he asserted.
In contrast, the Government of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) Information Minister, Nyingnga Okanho Kiro, rejected the claims, stating, “We are not aware of these attacks. There is no way we would know about attacks occurring in the bushes. But should we find any information on this attack, we will update you.”
IOM has yet to issue statement on the attack. Efforts to reach out to the organization’s spokesperson was not immediately successful.
Jonglei State has long been recognized as one of the most dangerous areas for humanitarian operations in South Sudan. Several factors contribute to this precarious situation.
The state has been a flashpoint for ethnic violence, particularly among the Dinka, Nuer, and Murle communities. Such conflicts often spill over into violence against humanitarian personnel who are viewed, rightly or wrongly, as being aligned with one faction or another.
The lack of a stable state presence and effective law enforcement exacerbates the environment of impunity for armed groups. This ongoing instability impacts the ability of humanitarian organizations to carry out their missions safely.
Since the outbreak of civil war in 2013, South Sudan has witnessed a tragic trend of violence against aid workers, with many incidents reported in Jonglei State. The number of attacks has made it one of the most perilous locales for humanitarian staff globally, leading to fatalities and injuries and discouraging engagement from international organizations.