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By:
Julius Ocungi, Daily Monitor | |||||||||
| Posted:
May,30-2016 12:12:46
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Three Ugandan traders have been confirmed dead after they were shot by gunmen between Aruu junction and Magwi Town in Eastern Equatoria state, 25km from Nimule Town in South Sudan on Thursday.
Police identified the deceased as Majid Ahmed, 50, from Iganga District, Ronald Kyambadde, 29, from Kayunga District and Francis Ocan, 32, from Gulu District.
Ocan was driving the truck in which the trio were travelling in when the gunmen opened fire on them at 10am. The deceased were reportedly on a business trip to Magwi.
The gunmen also robbed them of unspecified amount of money and disappeared.
The Aswa regional police spokesperson, Mr Jimmy Patrick Okema, confirmed the attack on Friday, saying police were following up the matter.
Mr Okema said the bodies of the deceased were brought to the Uganda border point at Elegu in Atiak, Amuru District and they would be handed over to the relatives.
"We condemn the continuous attacks against our Ugandan traders who access South Sudan for businesses. This is not the first time they are being attacked. We urge the South Sudanese government to step up their security to guarantee protection to Ugandans," Mr Okema said.
He said despite many dialogues they have had with South Sudanese security officials on the safety of Ugandans travelling to South Sudan, no effort has been put in place to ensure the protection of the traders.
Mr Okema said in a separate incident on the same routes, gunmen also shot dead three Eritreans from Kenya.
He said identities of the deceased were not readily established and their bodies were still in Magwi.
The 4th Division army spokesperson, Lt Hassan Ahmad Kato, told Sunday Monitor that in a similar incident on Thursday afternoon, other gunmen opened fire on a Ugandan truck driver between Jabuleen town and Aruu junction in Juba County in South Sudan. He said the driver was transporting goods from Uganda to Juba.
Lt Kato said the driver ran through the ambush unhurt.
Drivers strike
Last month, truck drivers from the East African countries staged a four day strike at the Ugandan border point of Elegu in Atiak and refused to enter South Sudan on account of gunmen targeting them.
The drivers later called off the strike after dialogue in Nimule Town in which South Sudan’s Deputy Director General for Customs Gen Dominic Ding Agar assured them of protection.
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