Unknown people attacked a group of bodyguards of the state governor Gen. Alfred Futuyo who were travelling along Yambio-Tambura road on Friday, killing one person while four others were injured.
CEPOs Executive Director, Edmund Yakani decried the increasing cases of road ambushes, urging the ceasefire monitoring body (CTSAMVM) to investigate the attack.
“This incident demonstrates a bad and disturbing sign since the country is in the motto of public debate on the possibility of conducting the looming elections scheduled for December 2024 as per the provisions of the R-ARCSS [Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan],” he said.
The attackers reportedly disappeared with two motorbikes and the victims’ properties.
Yakani said the attack happened in the face of reconciling and healing the communities of Tombura County following previous deadly clashes in the area.
“This criminal act of road ambushes against political figures requires proper approach for providing solutions, since the country is heading towards holding of general national elections in December 2024,” he observed.
The activist warned that some political elites in the country are likely to take the country back on the path of violence, citing what was witnessed in 2013 and 2016.
According to Yakani, attacks against political figures, confrontational political statements issued by political figures in government of political parties, the rise in hostile propaganda, fake news, misinformation and hate speech in various social media platforms all indicate threats towards preparations for elections.
He further expressed concerns over the slow move in the unification of the forces and roll out of phase two of the training, graduation and redeployment of the forces as an indicator for potential risks ahead of the December 2024 polls.
The activist urged the political leadership of the country, the transitional security committees such as the Joint Defense Board (JDB) and Joint Transitional Security Committee (JTSC) to expedite the unification of the forces before the elections.
