Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The SSPDF Spokesperson has accused the SPLA-IO forces of carrying out two deadly ambushes along the Juba–Terekeka Road on Thursday, May 1, leaving one person dead. The opposition group denies being behind the incident.
In a statement on May 5, army spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, said the first ambush occurred on May 1st between Koda and Nyori, where a commercial truck traveling from Bahr el Ghazal to Juba was attacked. The vehicle was set ablaze, and one Somali national was reportedly killed on spot.
The second incident took place around 11:30 a.m. at the same location, targeting a 30-ton truck heading from Terekeka to Gok-Machar in Aweil North County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
Gen. Lul stated that the truck, with registration number SSD 545AJ and carrying commercial goods, was reportedly hijacked by suspected SPLA-IO forces and driven toward an SPLA-IO base known as “Bai Bai”
However, the truck broke down before reaching the location, prompting the attackers to offload the cargo in a nearby bush.
Maj. Gen. Lul said forces from the National Security Service – Internal Security Bureau (NSS-ISB), under the command of Col. Makoi Mayiei, pursued the attackers and managed to rescue four of the six abducted crew members.
The rescued hostages include one South Sudanese and three Sudanese nationals. Two individuals – one South Sudanese and one Sudanese – remain unaccounted for and are considered missing.
The SSPDF said the rescued hostages were tortured during their 48-hour ordeal. The abductors allegedly stole five smartphones and personal belongings, including four million South Sudan Pounds — an amount equivalent to 600 US dollars.
“On 1st of May 2025, there was this lorry here which left Juba for Northern Bhar el Ghazal as the final destination. Between Kuda and Nyori at 11:30 a.m. they were stopped by SPLA IO rebels and not being stopped just like that they opened fire on the vehicle you are seeing here and as a result the vehicle came to hold, ,” Lul narrated.
“They were driven down and led into the bush. They spent two days moving throughout at nights and during their ordeal which lasted 48 hours, they were helped by the operation forces from operations department national security internal security bureau and they were able to recover them.”
Gen. Lul advised motorists and truck drivers to avoid traveling at night time, citing increasing insecurities along the country’s major highways, in a statement aired on state broadcaster SSBC.
He stressed the growing threat from armed opposition particularly against commercial convoys, and urged all truckers and transport operators to cease movement after 5:00am, and instead seek shelter at the nearest government-controlled location.
“As my appeal to all truck drivers, once it is about 6:00pm or 5:00pm, please you spend the night at the nearest government control area.”
The SPLA-IO Spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel has refuted accusations by national army that the group carried out two ambushes along Juba–Rumbek road on May 1, describing it as baseless.
“The SPLA-IO read with dismay the baseless accusations made by the SSPDF spokesperson trending the social media that the SPLA-IO forces ambushed civilian trucks along Juba Terekeka Road. And added that this is a fabrication,” he stated.
Lam Paul said SPLA–IO forces do not target civilians, whether at their residence or on the roads. Instead, he said the SSPDF should take full responsibility for whatever happened to those trucks, their occupants and avoid using the SPLA-IO as a scapegoat to justify further attacks.
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