SSPDF accuses SPLA-IO of ambushing vehicles along Juba-Terekeka road
By James Chatim
South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) spokesperson, Maj Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, has accused the SPLA-IO of ambushing a commercial truck between Koda and Nyori Payam in Terekeka County of Central Equatoria State.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, Gen. Lul said the commercial truck carrying goods was offloaded by the SPLA-IO forces and looted an amount of SSP 4 million from the traders.
“On the 1st of May 2025 at 11 pm, there was this lorry in the background here that left Juba for Northern Bahr el Ghazal. The final destination for the lorry was Gok Machar. In Gok Machar, this crew you are seeing here, between Koda and Nyori, at 11.30 am, 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 a halt. They were run down and led into the bush,” Lul explained.
According to him, the truck was carrying a lot of commercial goods, and the goods were offloaded by the rebels.
“They were subjected to a lot of beating, physical beating, a lot of whipping. You can see his shirt here, these are the bruises. This is chin, he’s having a bruise after he was knocked down.”
“The shirt is full of blood stains, because they were subjected to a lot of beating,” Gen Lul said.
However, The City Review could not independently verify the accusation.
The SSPDF spokesperson further said that forces affiliated with SPLA-IO ambushed another vehicle at the same place by a joint force with armed civilians, mostly from Terekeka County.
“Just shortly before they arrived at the scene, which was between Baibai and Nyore, they had found a truck that was coming to Juba, from the direction of Greater Bahr el-Ghazal. The vehicle was being driven by a Somali,” Lul said.
“That vehicle fell into an ambush at the same place, and one person was killed, and that was a co-driver. The other one went missing. The next day, the car was set on fire.”
He said, according to the information they have, the rebels have joined forces with armed civilians, mostly from Terekeka County, and they are the ones who are carrying out joint operations.
