Picture of Tambura town taken in April 2019. (Photo/Charles Wote/Eye Radio)

The commissioner of Tambura County in Western Equatoria reports that local security forces have foiled an attempted looting by gunmen of a truck carrying food items to a church compound hosting IDPs in Ngboko.

Matthew Mabenge said the gunmen totaling to 18 people waylaid the truck along Muzungu and Mboko area in Source Yubu Payam. The incident left a soldier dead.

“It was at 7 PM on Wednesday when a truck taking food to Ngboko Parish was ambushed by unknown-gunmen,” he said.

“According to the security reports, there were well-armed people who attacked that vehicle. We lost one soldier from the 6th Division, and now we have sent forces to go and pursue them.”

The truck was loaded with church-mobilized food to support Internally Displaced Persons residing inside the parish, after being forced out of their homes in the recent insecurity.

However, Mabenge said apart from the shooting incident, Tambura registered a peaceful Christmas celebration.

“Since the regional forces arrived in Tambura, the security seems to be calm and everything is perfect. We are okay. Even we enjoyed the x-mas yesterday.”

Since November 2024, Tambura had grappled with deepening inter-communal violence characterized by rampant targeted killings.