Activist condemns killing of health worker in Bentiu

JUBA – South Sudan activist Edmund Yakani has condemned yesterday’s killing of a health worker in Bentiu town, the capital of the country’s Unity State, and urged the government to immediately bring to justice the those behind the act.

Yesterday morning, medical doctor Daniel Deng Gatluak was shot dead at Bieh camp where Unity State residents displaced by floods are being housed by the government.

Gatluak, 53, was working as the supervisor of World Health Organization (WHO) for Guit County and the killers are believed to have carried out the act to avenge for an alleged killing of one of their relatives by someone reportedly related to the WHO health worker.

Speaking to Sudans Post this evening, Yakani who is the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) condemned the killing and called on the government in the state and at the national level to act immediately to bring the culprits to justice.

“CEPO strongly condemn the killing of the humanitarian aid worker in unity state. This is unaccepted act and it is absolute criminal act that requires the state government to bring the perpetrators to book,” Yakani said.

“These continued killing or increase in the killing of humanitarian workers in most parts of the country is disturbing and tarnishing the image of the country into a country that is worse for humanitarian workers,” he stressed.

The prominent activist urged the government in Juba to set up a mechanism for protection of humanitarian workers delivering much-needed assistance to millions in need in the world’s youngest country.

“The government should set a strategy for safety and protection of humanitarian workers across the country. This trend of targeting and killing medical humanitarian aid workers is getting worse in South Sudan. The government of Unity State should immediately take essential act of holding the perpetrators of the killing of Dr. Daniel Deng Gatluak at Bieh camp in Bentiu responsible,” he stressed.

Yakani further urged the central government in Juba to intervene should the state government in Bentiu fail to deliver justice as needed.