Road workers with African Resource Corporation (ARC), a local construction firm have been attacked by a group of armed youths along the Gatdiang-Akobo road leaving equipment destroyed in the violence.
The incident which occurred on February 11 has been blamed, by the authorities in Jonglei, on armed youths from neighboring Greater Pibor Administrative Area.
The attacked led to the burning of two brand new bulldozer machines undertaking road clearance along the Gatdiang-Akobo stretch, John Samuel Manyuon, the Minister of Information and Communication in Jonglei state said in a statement issued yesterday.
ARC was working “speedily” on clearing the 185km when they were hit at a 25km distance from Gatdiang, Manyuon said.
“This uncivilized and barbaric attack resulted into the burning of two brand new Bulldozers of ARC and no human casualty was reported,” he said.
“But through the reinforcement from the SSPDF forces in Gatdiang, the attackers were repulsed and pursued towards GPAA.”
According to Manyuon, it’s the 11th attack on the road since work started this dry season.
He warned the attacks were “being instigated by anti-peace and anti-development agents who never want to see any positive progress being realized in Jonglei State.”
“The government of Jonglei State would like to inform the national government and the public that the National Project (Road Development) is under threat from mobilized armed criminals from GPAA who have positioned themselves along the roads in order to kill, loot and destroy the construction equipment such that the road development don’t get through,” Manyuon said.
“Therefore, we call on the support of the national government to deploy security forces to protect the road workers, construction equipment, passengers and their properties moving along these roads,” he said.
Manyuon said Jonglei will also work towards beefing security along the roads in the State.
“The government encourages the humanitarians, traders and passengers using Bor-Gatdiang road to report to the government so that escort is provided,” he said.
