Lawmakers attacked after attempt to enter parliament through “shortcut”

JUBA – Two members of South Sudan’s transitional parliament were attacked by security personnel in Juba on Monday as they attempted to access the parliament building through the Dr. John Garang Mausoleum.

Speaking to reporters, parliamentary spokesman Oliver Mori Benjamin claimed that the two lawmakers were assaulted by unidentified security personnel after they attempted to enter the parliament through what he described as “shortcut”.

“Two members of parliament were assaulted today as they sought to enter the parliament through a shortcut, bypassing the usual entry point at the roundabout,” he said.

Benjamin, the spokesperson of the Transitional Legislative Assembly, told journalists that the security affairs committee was investigating the incident.

“They were slapped and mishandled by the guards simply because they had entered through the castle roundabout. And was coming across a shorter route for them to reach the parliament,” Benjamin said.

Mori noted that cases of assaults by security personnel were not isolated.

“Cases of assaults are taken seriously by the parliament whether he or she is a member of parliament or not. We are concerned about that,” he emphasized.