4 killed during Juba’s heavy gunfire, SSPDF says

JUBS — South Sudan’s army has said that yesterday’s heavy gunfire in the capital, Juba, left four people dead, including two soldiers, a university student, and a lawyer.

The shooting, which erupted on the evening of November 21, 2024, was linked to an attempt to arrest and detain former spy chief  Gen. Akol Koor Kuc.

Speaking to journalists in Juba on Friday night, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang confirmed the deaths, stating that two civilians were also injured in the crossfire, one of whom was crushed by military vehicles deployed to the scene.

Lul explained that the fatalities included two servicemen—one from inside the compound and another from the perimeter—and two civilians who were caught in the crossfire.

“The two civilians were wounded by gunfire, and we were able to transfer them to a nearby hospital,” Koang said.

Lul confirmed earlier Sudans Post report that Akol has been relocated from Tongpiny to his residence in Jebel.

He said that Akol had accepted to relocate following an arrangement made with him following a security meeting earlier in the morning that was chaired by President Salva Kiir.

The army officer reassured the public that the situation had been contained, urging calm and confirming that the city had returned to normal following the outbreak of violence.

The gunfire occurred in Juba’s Thongpiny area, one of the capital’s wealthier neighborhoods. Photos circulating online showed significant damage to Akol’s residence where he was when the confrontation broke out.

Kiir during early hours of Friday moved quickly to ensure that the situation does not escalate further by assuring Akol and his family of safety.

However,  the violence has sparked memories of past confrontations, such as those in 2013 and 2016, which caused South Sudan’s first civil war as a nation.