South Sudanese authorities have confirmed the death of a Kenyan engineer and the disappearance of another Kenyan national following a deadly ambush in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State, on Thursday, 31 July 2025.
The victims, identified as James Kariuki and Richard Matiangi, were reportedly travelling from South Sudan to Koboko District in Uganda to purchase construction materials when their vehicle was ambushed by unidentified gunmen near Bazi, approximately five kilometres from Morobo Town.
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Morobo County Commissioner, Mr Data Charles Bullen, confirmed the incident in a phone interview. He said that Kariuki was shot and killed inside the vehicle before the attackers set it on fire with his body still inside.
“It is true the vehicle was ambushed and set ablaze with the deceased inside. We are now coordinating efforts to move the remains to Koboko for preservation and eventual handover to his family,” Mr Bullen stated.
According to local officials, two other individuals, including the driver of the vehicle, remain unaccounted for. South Sudanese military forces pursued the attackers, reportedly killing one assailant during the chase.
While no group has claimed responsibility, preliminary reports suggest the individual killed in the exchange was dressed in the uniform of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO), one of several armed groups active in the region.
Longstanding insecurity along key route
The Koboko–Kaya–Yei–Juba highway, a major transport corridor between Uganda and South Sudan, has seen repeated ambushes in recent years. Armed groups, including the National Salvation Front (NAS), have been linked to previous attacks in the area.
In March 2021 and again in March 2023, separate ambushes on this route resulted in the deaths of multiple Ugandan truck drivers. The insecurity has prompted calls from Ugandan local leaders, including Koboko Municipality Mayor Wilson Sanya, urging traders and transporters to avoid the route and instead use the safer Koboko–Yumbe–Adjumani–Kajo-Keji alternative.
Border tensions rise
The incident comes days after a deadly clash along the Uganda–South Sudan border in Yumbe District’s Kochi Sub-county, which claimed the lives of one Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier, a civilian, and five South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) troops.
Investigations into Thursday’s ambush are ongoing, as authorities work to determine the identities of those still missing and the group responsible for the attack.
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