Juba-Bor highway. |Courtesy/ARC.

Jonglei Minister of Parliamentary Affairs was attacked and robbed by “armed criminals” who laid ambush to her vehicle along the Juba-Bor Highway on Sunday, the state government said.

According to the state Ministry of Information, Nyalele John Chuol was returning from Juba where she had gone for a government mission when armed assailants opened fire on her vehicle – riddling it with bullets and forcing her to stop.

There were no casualties during the attack which happened at Mogiri in Central Equatoria and the robbers looted Minister Nyalele’s entire luggage, the statement said.

“This heinous attack of gunshots led to serious damage to the minister’s vehicle and the robbing of her entire luggage in the vehicle. luckily, there was no casualty,” it stated.

Hon. Nyalelel was reportedly sent on official trip to Juba by the state government after being appointed as part of a communal peace mediation committee in Ayod County.

“The government of Jonglei State condemns this atrocious attack on the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs by armed criminals in Mogiri in the strongest term possible.”

Jonglei further called on Central Equatoria government to investigate the incident and hold perpetrators accountable.

The incident happens only a week after a passenger bus that was leaving Juba for Uganda came under gunfire from unidentified attackers who killed one person, wounded eight others, and held some passengers hostage on 24th September.

The gunmen shooting on the civilian vehicle hit the driver’s side – forcing him to halt the bus which eventually caught fire.