Machar-nominated South Sudan minister flees assassination attempt

JUBA – A South Sudan state minister nominated by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny on the ticket of the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) has said that a group of armed loyal to former SPLA-IO commander attempted to take his life during an attack on his house in Yambio town of Western Equatoria state.

William Adriano Baika, the minister of information in Western Equatoria state was appointed to the position by President Salva Kiir Mayardit in February 2021 when the South Sudanese head of state reconstituted the government of Western Equatoria state as part of an arrangement provided for in the revitalized peace agreement signed by Kiir and Machar who is also the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition.

Speaking to Sudans Post this evening from Yambio, Baika said a group of armed criminals loyal to former SPLA-IO commander Major General James Nando Mark attacked his residence in Yambio on Tuesday night and started firing leading his guard to force him to hide in a certain room inside his compound.

“What happened is that yesterday evening, a group of criminals, armed criminals belonging to the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) under the command of General Nando attacked my residence and they started shooting randomly into the compound and they exchanged fire with my guards,” he said.

“After an intense battle between my bodyguards and the attackers, my guards rushed me to a certain room and I stayed in the room until the shooting started and this all the mess that happened on Tuesday night but I thank God that we are all fine and only one person who was injured during the encounter was captured,” he added.

The opposition official condemned the attack which he termed an assassination attempt by anti-peace genera saying that the soldier who was captured confessed that he belongs to the SSPDF under the command of Gen. Nando and that the investigation was still going on and more information will be brought out.

“When he was captured and interrogated, he confessed that he is loyal to the former SPLA-IO commander General Nando. This is a clear violation of the revitalized peace agreement and this person should not be allowed to create insecurity in Western Equatoria state and I condemn his actions in the strongest terms possible,” he added.