SPLM-IO says its military spokesman Lam Paul survived ‘assassination attempt’ in Juba

JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice President Riek Machar has said that its military spokesman Col. Lam Paul Gabriel on Wednesday narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Juba.

In a complaint addressed to the head of Ceasefire, Transitional Security Arrangement, Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) yesterday, SPLM-IO Deputy Chair Oyet Nathaniel detailed the harrowing incident involving two armored vehicles targeting Col. Lam’s personal car.

“Today, 21 February 2024, at around 9:00Am local time, in Gudele II, in Juba, two (2) numberless military armored vehicles, suspected to belong to the Military Intelligence Unit of the SSPDF, trailed and intercepted a personal car belonging to Col. Lam Paul Gabriel,” Oyet wrote in the letter obtained by Sudans Post.

According to Oyet, the assailants, wearing both military uniforms and civilian clothes, stopped the car, opened the door, and fired at the driver, mistakenly believing him to be Col. Lam.

He said that after the soldiers realized their error, they commandeered the vehicle and drove towards Luri military barracks. However, they abandoned the car and their victim along the Juba-Luri road following contacts with unknown command.

“The two (2) armored vehicles stopped and blocked Col. Lam’s car at Gudele II, men in military uniformed and civilian clothes jumped and forcefully opened the door and fired at the driver of the car. After discovering that he was not Col. Lam, they then took control of the vehicle and masked the driver and drove him towards Luri military barrack expecting that he was dead,” Oyet said.

“After some distance from Gudele II, along Juba-Luri road, the convoy branched off and stopped at the nearby bushes. After about 20 minutes of telephone communications with unknown command, the soldiers in the two (2) vehicles decided to leave the car with their victim and drove away,” he added.

Oyet emphasized that the incident constituted an assassination attempt on Col. Lam’s life, citing previous threats against the SPLA-IO spokesman.

“We would like to confirm that this was an assassination attempt on Col. Lam Paul Gabriel, the official Spokesperson of the SPLM-IO forces in a broad daylight by men in uniform and civilian clothes, acting under a command,” Oyet said.

“It should also be noted that this incident followed repeated warning signals of threats to the life of the Spokesperson while on duty. I would like to highlight that the office of the Spokesperson is part and parcel of the General Headquarters of the SPLM/SPLA-IO,” he added.

Oyet also alleged attempts on his own security, citing harassment and intimidation of his office staff, bodyguards, and drivers by government security operatives.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to bring to your good attention that throughout the last quarter of 2023, especially after passing the controversial budget for the Financial Year 2023/2024 in Parliament, there have been plots within the National Security Services and the Military Intelligence Unit of the SSPDF to temper with my personal security, and security of my offices and facilities,” he said.

“Consequently, there have been a number of incidences of harassment of my office staff and bodyguards, arrest and detention, vehicles seizures and searches, and disarmament just to humiliate and intimidate my office.

“This is displaying the highest level of hostilities in violation of the Cessation of Hostilities’ Agreement (COHA) signed in 2017, and therefore threatening the Permanent Ceasefire Agreement (PCA) signed in 2018,” he added.