Two Ugandan Transporters Shot Dead in South Sudan Highway Ambush

Tragedy has struck the Ugandan transport community once again as a truck driver and his turn man were shot dead in South Sudan. The victims, identified as transporter Jamil Kawooya and his turn boy, were ambushed by an unknown armed group at Nakawulira along the road from Juba City to Kapoeta Township.

According to Mr Isaac Katabazi, the chairman of the Alliance of Heavy Truck Drivers’ Federation, Kawooya was shot and killed directly at his steering wheel. His turn boy attempted to flee into the nearby bush but was pursued and gunned down by the attackers. Both bodies were later recovered and taken to Kapoeta to await repatriation back to Uganda.

Mr Katabazi expressed deep frustration over the incident, noting that suspects involved in targeting Ugandan transporters on South Sudanese roads are rarely apprehended or brought to justice. Kawooya was reportedly attacked after offloading his cargo from a truck that had previously experienced mechanical problems.

The fatal ambush comes just three weeks after Uganda hosted the second Uganda-South Sudan business forum. During the meeting, traders and drivers voiced serious concerns regarding ongoing attacks, harassment, and security threats while operating in South Sudan.

Drivers say the latest violence undermines recent diplomatic assurances that the region had become safer for foreign transporters. Transporters continue to appeal to the South Sudanese government to guarantee adequate security both on transit highways and within urban areas. For more details on this developing story, read the Daily Monitor.