Armed youth walk through a village in South Sudan’s Pibor region. Photo: AFP

At least three drivers and a trader were killed, and five others wounded in two separate road ambushes  in Jonglei’s Akobo County by unidentified armed youth, according to spokesperson of the area commissioner.

Sabit Lual told Eye Radio that the first incident occurred near Kaikuiny Boma of AKobo County at around 6AM  on Friday – when five commercial vehicles were waylaid allegedly by armed youth from Greater Pibor.

The attack resulted in the killing of three drivers and a trader.  Three others were wounded.

“The attack happened yesterday (Friday), 26^th April 2024, at around 6 am in a location called Chot-roal – two kilometers meter away from Kaikuiny situation between Akobo East and Akobo West.

“The attack was carried out by Murle criminal youth from GPAA and in the incident, three drivers plus one trader were killed. These are just traders who go to Akobo east for trading.

The second incident, according to Lual, occurred last evening in Dangjuoth area where the assailants wounded two people.

“At evening time yesterday (Friday) there was another attack in a village called Dangjuoth by those criminal youth from greater Pibo. They wounded to two people there,”  he said.

Authorities in Akobo County have condemned the attack  and appealed to the Government of GPAA to exert  pressure on Murle Youths to leave Lou Nuer area as agreed in the April 2024 -Akobo peace conference which called for end to violence.

When asked, GPPA Information Minister Abraham Kela said they did not have any information regarding the incidents.

“The information that was shared with you by these people is incorrect and has no basis. We were not informed of such incidents and we do not have any information regarding it.

“We spent yesterday (Friday) welcoming the new head of administration, Mr. Gola Boyaoi, and we did not hear anything about this incident.”