Top gov’t official shot dead in Malakal

JUBA — A senior South Sudan state government official was on Tuesday evening assassinated in the country’s Upper Nile State’s capital Malakal, government officials said.

John Okonj, the Director General of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure for Upper Nile state was shot dead while leaving market for his residence in Malakal town.

“John Okonj, the Director-General for the ministry of physical infrastructure, was shot dead when he was leaving the market going home and we have not yet got any more information about his death,” one senior government told Sudans Post this morning.

The senior government official said police investigations were ongoing as of this morning and more details will be made available to the public once the authorities are ready for the facts about his death.

“To my information, the suspect that killed him hasn’t yet been apprehended and the police because they have no prior information about the killer are doing their best to apprehend him,” he said.

Separately, an eyewitness said he heart a gun shot when minutes later it was reported that the Mr. Okonj has been killed.

“I heard gun shoots and after some few minutes, I heard that the Director General has been assassinated and this is really very unfortunate that after peace agreement, people are dying,” he added.