A vehicle carrying the secretary-general of the Bor Community, Mayom Ateny Wai, was ambushed Wednesday afternoon along the Juba-Bor road, leaving his brother seriously injured, officials said.
The attack occurred near Mogiri in Central Equatoria State as the group traveled from Bor to Juba.
At least eight Murle traders were killed last week in an attack in Mogiri. Authorities blamed the violence on youth from neighboring Jonglei State.
Mayom told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that his brother, Madit Ateny Wai, was shot three times and sustained wounds to the head and shoulder. He remains in serious condition at a Juba hospital.
Mayom and other passengers escaped unharmed. He said the ambush happened near a cattle market frequented by Murle traders, an area he described as increasingly dangerous.
“My vehicle is not the first to be attacked,” Mayom said, referencing recent violence on the highway.
He urged the government to address insecurity in the area, including relocating or closing the cattle market, which he said has become a hub for criminal activity.
Jacob Werchum Juok, information minister for the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, denied involvement by his community and called for an investigation.
“We have not received any report of this incident,” he said. “Blaming our people is wrong. Authorities must find the real perpetrators.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.