Ugandan Taxi Drivers Killed along Yei-Juba Road While Tension remains high in Koboko Municipality following the Killings
Four Ugandan taxi drivers flying Koboko-Juba road were on Sunday, 28th March shot dead by unknown gunmen in Kanji in Lanya County about miles to Juba city in South Sudan.
The deceased identified as Amadi Stephen from Maracha district, Dada Gadafi, Ali Sonia, and Sadam Mustafi all from Koboko district were ambushed on the road between Yei and Juba on Sunday at about 2:00 p.m. The attackers shot the drivers and robbed the passengers of their belonging including clothes leaving them naked.
Wilson Sanya, the mayor of Koboko municipality told Juba monitor on Monday, 29th March that all the deceased were taxi drivers, and it appears as if they (the taxi drivers) were the major targets of the attackers as the passengers were not hurt but were only robbed.
In Uganda, taxis refer to fourteen-seater vans that are common as public transport.
Meanwhile, there was high tension in Koboko municipality on Monday 29th March 2021 following the news of the shooting of the four Ugandan taxi drivers. South Sudanese in the area remained fearful that some Ugandans were planning revenge by attacking South Sudanese nationals in Koboko municipality West Nile Uganda.
However the Mayor of Koboko Municipality, Wilson Sanya told Juba Monitor that they have been mobilizing people to stay calm as they try to involve the security committee from the South Sudan embassy in Uganda and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to handle the matter.
“I have been appealing to our local people that revenge is not a solution, we need to be calm and let the government authorities deal with the issue,” Mr. Sanya said adding that they were going to have a committee meeting to resolve what is needed to and make formal communication to the embassy and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure the safety of Ugandans while they are in South Sudan.
Meanwhile, the chairperson for the taxi stage at Koboko said that he already talked to the taxi drivers and the local communities to control their emotions because South Sudanese living in Uganda are innocent and are also victims of the violence in their country.
Odong Jeofry Eily Deputy District internal security official confirmed the attack and said that many South Sudanese living in Koboko fear to open their business as they feel that they could be victimized. Odong appealed for calm among the locals saying,
“This morning I called some to my office, let's continue to contain our emotions, in Uganda, we have the law but on the other side things are different.’’
Odong further expressed that people must bear in mind that they have relatives and Ugandans in South Sudan so revenge of any kind against the South Sudanese living in Koboko and Arua should be out of the question.
“Those who are with us in the camps also run away from the same trouble in the other side, from attacks as these that have claimed the lives of the taxi drivers; I am sure revenge will not change the situation,’’ he explained.
He said the situations of many innocent South Sudanese in their own country is not good, people should leave them to stay in peace
Confirmed reports also indicate that seven more people were killed at the same point on Monday, 29th morning and their identities are yet to be established.
By Gaaniko Samson Jerry
