Gunmen ambushed a passenger vehicle on a major highway in South Sudan, wounding two people and sparking renewed calls from a drivers’ union to relocate a cattle market it says attracts criminal activity, officials said Tuesday.
The attack occurred on Tuesday morning on the Juba-Bor highway between the towns of Bilyaang and Mogiri in Juba County, part of Central Equatoria state. An unidentified group attacked a vehicle carrying more than 10 passengers traveling from Bor, the capital of Jonglei state, to the national capital, Juba.
The attackers looted money and luggage from the passengers, who fled into a nearby forest to escape the violence, according to Deng Jool, chairman of the Drivers Union in Jonglei state.
Jool told Radio Tamazuj that two injured passengers were struck in the head and shoulder, respectively. He said their conditions were stable and they had been transported to Juba for medical treatment. The other passengers who hid in the forest have since been accounted for and are unharmed.
The ambush has intensified longstanding demands from the Drivers Union to move the Mogiri cattle auction center, which Jool described as a hub for criminals who target travelers.
“The market keeps criminals who attack the travelers each time they come off their cattle,” Jool said. “We reiterate our call to the Central Equatoria State and national governments to move the market to a safer location where arms are prohibited.”
When contacted for comment, national police spokesperson Gen. James Monday Enoka said he was not yet aware of the incident and was awaiting an official report.
Authorities in Central Equatoria State were not immediately available for comment.
In the past, state officials have noted that the Mogiri site was not officially designated for livestock trading, a situation they say has contributed to a lack of formal security measures in the area.
The attack was condemned by civil society groups, with some linking it to the fragile peace process in the country.
“This is unfortunate to hear such sad news yet our leaders claimed to be in the implementation of R-ARCSS,” said Ter Manyang Gatwech, executive director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy, referring to the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.
“The main goal of R-ARCSS is to restore peace and security across the country,” Gatwech said. “Such incidents are not acceptable.”