EES governor Gen. Louis Lobong Lojore’s envoy attacked in Budi County
March 30, 2021(SSNN) — The Eastern Equatoria State governor, Louis Lobong Lojore’s envoy was on Monday ambushed by a group of armed youth in Budi County as they were leaving the area after a peace mission.
Governor of Eastern Equatoria Lt. Gen. Louis Lobong Lojore(Photo credit: courtesy image)
The governor narrowly survived the attack that left one of his bodyguards and a wife to the Division Commander killed in the ambush while two other people sustained injuries.
According to Eastern Equatoria State information minister, Hon. Martin Oting Cyprian, the governor is now safe and sound.
“The government mission was a peace mission to talk to the youth of Buya to allow the highway to be opened so that vehicles can move freely as well as to cool the situation down.” Martin siad.
“After addressing the youth, the meeting went very well and when they were now on their vehicles to go to Kapoeta to also talk to the Toposa about the same mission, the governor’s convoy was attacked by Buya youth,” he continued.
According to Martin the shots were fired directly on the governor’s convoy and therefore it must have been an assassination attempt on his life.
“It is an attempt on the governor’s life because the meeting was over and as the governor was leaving he was attacked and in the process of random shooting directly on the convoy one soldier was killed on spot, one civilian was killed on spot including two soldiers and one civilian injured. Currently, the governor is safe and the team, currently the Tiger forces from Juba have arrived to rescue the situation.”
Governor Lobong’s press secretary Aliandro Lotok, who was also in the convoy, said they were surprised by the attack after what they thought was a successful peaceful discussion with the youth in the area.
“We want to thank the President’s Tiger, a huge number of forces from Tiger Division has now arrived and from the National Security Service just a few minutes ago and they are all here.” Lotok said.
“These forces are primarily here to rescue and evacuate him because we were besieged from 4 pm yesterday till morning,” he added.
The chairperson for the Civil Society Network in the state Charles Okullu Cypriano condemned the attacks pointing a finger at the government for not addressing issues until it is too late.
“The government is not solving problems promptly when you approach a problem when it has reached a boiling point the situation may not be well but what we see according to our sources is an accumulation of issues in Camp 15 especially between the Buya and the Toposa,” Okullu said. “The role of government is to quickly come in to address the issues and let people know that it is resolved but when people are killed and the government is quiet then people will think the government is incapable of solving issues.”
Governor Lobong traveled to Camp 15 on Monday, following a Sunday night attack on Camp 15 that left 17 people dead, four injured, and houses torched.
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