Map of Jonglei State and Pibor Administrative Area. (Credit: Wikipedia).

Two people have been wounded and three traders went missing after gunmen attacked a convoy of three commercial vehicles in Duk County of Jonglei State on January 27, according to an official.

The incident occurred along the Bor-Gadiang road on Friday.

The state minister of information, John Samuel Manyuon said the armed bandits are suspected to have come from the neighboring Pibor Administrative Area.

The traders were ambushed in the afternoon on their way from Bor town while heading to the counties of Uror, Duk, and Nyirol with their goods.

“A convoy that was delivering some food items and some other stuff by the traders fell into an ambush of armed Murle youth,” he stated, without providing evidence Pibor youth involvement.

Minister Manyoun said one trader was shot in the neck and the other sustained unexplained injuries.

While narrating the incident to Eye Radio on Sunday, he said three other businessmen are unaccounted for, prompting fears about their safety.

“They shot two people who are now in the hospital and three happened to run their way and still, they are not yet found. We don’t know if they are alive or dead.”

Eye Radio’s efforts to contact Pibor authorities for comment were not immediately successful.

Minister Manyuon further said the state government will deploy security to protect traders and other road users.

“There is going to be the deployment of security along the main road that is going towards the Northern Jonglei, to protect the road workers, especially the ARC people that are working constructing the road that is heading to Malakal, and to give security to the goods and passengers who travel along the road.”

“So, the arrangements are in place and we will work hand in hand with business people, UN, and other road users so that such incidents don’t happen again.”