SSPDF officer killed in Abyei as fears of targeted attacks grow

ABYEI – A South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) officer was killed on Monday in Majak-kol, Rum-Amer County of South Sudan’s Abyei Administrative Area, prompting concerns about a potential pattern of attacks targeting security personnel in the area.

Speaking to Sudans Post, the commander of the SSPDF Abyei-Twic Joint Operation Forces Gen. Joseph Kwai Ajak said the officer, identified as Deng Mou, was walking back from Rum-Amer County on Monday morning when he was attacked at Majak-kol.

“We don’t know what is killing our forces,” Kwai Ajak told Sudans Post on Thursday, describing the incident as “malicious and incomprehensible.”

“The incident occurred on Monday as Major General, Deng Mou, was moving on foot from Rum-Amer and he was waylaid and shot by assailants who have not been apprehended,” the SSPDF officer added.

Kwai said the assailants fled with the officer’s rifle.

“They fled immediately with his rifle, and we are doing all we could to get the culprits, and the people around the area should cooperate and give us tips about the suspects’ whereabouts,” he said.

Kwai Ajak highlighted the frequency of such incidents, attributing them to ongoing communal fighting between the Twic and Abyei communities.

The area has been plagued by conflict, contributing to instability and violence. He called on residents to cooperate with the authorities and provide information that could lead to the arrest of those responsible.

The killing of the SSPDF officer is the latest in a series of similar attacks against security personnel, raising fears of targeted violence.

Authorities are investigating the incident to determine the motive and identify the perpetrators. The volatile security situation in the region remains a major concern.