South Sudan minister condemns killing of top official in Malakal

JUBA – South Sudan’s Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, Anyoti Adigo, on Thursday strongly condemned this week’s killing of top state official in Malakal, the capital of the oil-rich Upper Nile State.

John Okony Yor, Director General of Upper Nile State Ministry Physical Infrastructure, was gunned down at his home on August 17 in Malakal town by an unknown gunman.

The motive of the killing is yet unknown as the suspect has remained at large.

Adigo stressed the urgent need to restore peace and stability in Upper Nile State.

“It is very unfortunate that this thing happened and I personally and my people we condemned this in the strongest term possible and that this is not acceptable,” Adigo told SSBC yesterday after his meeting with First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar.

Adigo said the meeting with Vice President Dr. Machar discussed the security situation in Malakal town.

“I came to discuss with His Excellency First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny about the security situation in Malakal because in fact two days ago one of the top government official who is a director general of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing in Upper Nile was gunned down at 7 o’clock by unknown gunmen,” he said.

He described the attackers at large as enemies of people and progress.

“These are enemies of peace. Malakal was becoming peaceful but because of many enemies of peace they started now making things which are not good for the people,” he said.

The murder is the third of its kind, involving influential people in Malakal town.

Last year, top SSPDF General, Arop Okew, and peace activist Juliano Ambrose were shot dead while returning home from a market in the town.

Later in the same year, armed individuals shot at people who had turned up for the reception of the new state governor, Budhok Ayang.

Three people, including a woman, were killed as a result.

Also in July 2020, a public prosecutor in the state, identified as Thomas Aban Akol was killed by armed assailants.

Since then no culprits have been identified and punished for the crimes.