Gunmen Target Kampala-Bound Bus in South Sudan, Leaving Trail of Death and Destruction

By Sekaggya Seka Moses

A devastating attack on a long-distance bus in South Sudan has left at least one person dead and several others feared kidnapped.

The bus, traveling from Juba to Kampala, Uganda, was ambushed by gunmen on Tuesday morning, about 50 miles south of the capital.

According to Army spokesperson Maj Gen Lul Ruai Koang, a Ugandan man was killed, and eight others were wounded in the attack.

Seven people are still missing, and it’s suspected they may have been abducted.

The National Salvation Front (NAS), a rebel group led by Gen Thomas Cirilo Swaka, has been accused of carrying out the attack. This group has refused to sign the 2018 peace accord and operates in areas south of Juba and other parts of Central Equatoria state.

This incident is not an isolated one. There have been previous attacks on vehicles traveling along this route.

In August 2022, 11 passengers, including South Sudanese and Ugandans, were killed in an ambush by unidentified armed men.

Two South Sudanese Catholic nuns were also killed on the same highway in 2021 while traveling back to Juba.

The ongoing insecurity in South Sudan, despite the peace deal aimed at ending years of civil war, remains a significant concern.

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