Three unidentified bodies still in Juba hospital

Nov 24, 2015

Three bodies of the seven people killed in an attack last week by gunmen along the Juba-Nimule highway are still unclaimed from Juba Teaching hospital in South Sudan

By Simon Masaba & Agencies

Three bodies of the seven people killed in an attack last week by gunmen along the Juba-Nimule highway are still unclaimed from Juba Teaching hospital in South Sudan.


The police said the bodies are yet to be identified, however, they (Police) appealed to the public to reach out to their relatives in South Sudan and verify whether they travelled on the fateful day.

“This will enable security to trace the missing persons,” the police spokesperson, Fred Enanga said, while addressing the press yesterday at the Police headquarters in Naguru, a city suburb.

He, however, identified the body of Genesi Kalite from Ethiopia, Mohammed Ahmed (Eritrea), Omar Ssekabanja (Rwanda) and another only identified as Dak from South Sudan.

Enanga said ten people were injured and scores are still missing.  “During the ambush most people scampered and are still uncounted for. We believe they were captured during the raid and taken as prisoners,” he said.

He also identified the injured Edward Keke, Geofrey Kityo, Joan Namutebi, Paul Ssentamu, Beatrice Nambuya, Joyce Nalwada, Hadijah Nalumansi, Kirya Julius and two others identified only as Noble and Male, all in Juba teaching hospital but their relatives had been notified.

Enanga said more security personnel have been deployed along the Nimule-Juba highway to ensure safety of travellers and to thwart armed gunmen that target motorists.

This followed a meeting by eight top Ugandan security officials with their counterparts in Juba on Friday, Last week.
They discussed measures to neutralise armed gunmen along the route.

On Thursday, gunmen ambushed three Kenyan semi-trailers, a Kampala-bound bus and a lorry in south Sudan, killing seven people and injuring 17 others.

According to the police, the incident occurred between 5am-8am at Aruu junction, 75km after the Nimule border post in Magwir sub-county, South Sudan.

Sources said the security team discussed and agreed to intensify operations along the route in order to thwart the suspected assailants.

Among the team was the Police’s deputy director operation, John Nuwagaba; the deputy director Crime Intelligence, Joel Aguma; the Commander Integrated highway Patrol, Stephen Odongkara and two representatives from International police from both countries.

When contacted Nuwagaba, said intensifying security along the route was on top of the agenda.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) spokesperson, Col. Philip Aguer said South Sudan army was in full control of the security situation on the Nimule-Juba highway following an ambush on a passenger bus heading to Uganda.

The attackers are suspected to be a splinter group of the south Sudanese people’s liberation army (SSPLA) rebel out-fit that recently agreed to make peace with South Sudan government.

While speaking at another meeting for council of ministers on Friday chaired by President Salva Kiir, information and broadcasting minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, said SPLA attacked a suspected military training camp for alleged opposition forces blamed for the attack on a Ugandan bus.

The camp is alleged to be under the leadership of the first vice-president designate, Riek Machar.

Lueth said the rebels camp was found east of Juba—Nimule road by a military unit dispatched there on Thursday to pursue the raiders on a Ugandan owned bus.

“The SPLA [South Sudan army] attacked the camps of the rebels and dispersed them,”  Lueth said.

However,  Machar ‘s official spokesman James Gatdet Dak said their forces were not involved in the attack on the vehicles on Juba-Nimule road.

“SPLA (IO) forces have not involved in the alleged attack on commuting public commercial vehicles,” Dak said.

He said reports reaching his office instead indicated that government forces turned against civilians in the area, attacking them and burning their houses while looting movable properties they could easily carry.
 

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