South Sudan’s military said Thursday it will increase patrols and establish new checkpoints along the Juba-Bor highway following a series of deadly ambushes, including an attack on a senior health official.
The announcement by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) comes after a Thursday morning ambush in the Mogiri area targeted a vehicle carrying Reath Koang, the director-general of the Jonglei State Ministry of Health.
Koang’s condition was not immediately known.
In a separate incident Tuesday, gunmen ambushed a passenger vehicle on the same road, wounding two people. The attack occurred between the towns of Bilnyang and Mogiri. The assailants looted money and luggage from passengers, who fled into a nearby forest.
Jonglei State Information Minister Nyamar Lony confirmed the Thursday attack to Radio Tamazuj and condemned the deteriorating security along the vital transport corridor.
“This is a deeply troubling trend,” Lony said. “The attack on our health official is not just a crime against one individual, but an attack on public service delivery and the right of our people to travel safely.”
The highway links Juba with Bor, the capital of Jonglei State. The region has long experienced cyclical violence, but a recent uptick in road ambushes has raised alarm.
SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang acknowledged the severity of the situation in an interview with Radio Tamazuj.
“The rate at which vehicles are being ambushed and sprayed with bullets is increasing, so it is a source of worry and concern,” Koang said.
He added that the issue would be brought to the attention of the incoming chief of defense staff, Gen. Paul Nang Majok, so that operations commanders “do something to curb this upsurge in road ambushes.”
Koang said the enhanced military presence aims to restore safety and confidence for daily travelers. The spokesman did not specify the number of additional troops to be deployed or a timeline for the new security measures.
Local authorities and residents have repeatedly called for long-term solutions to the persistent insecurity. Many have pointed to a cattle auction center in Mogiri, which they say harbors criminals who plan and execute the ambushes.