Demolition goes bad, three dead in South Sudan capital

By Tapeng Michael Ohure

Three people died in a demolition exercise in South Sudan’s capital this week.

The exercise which has been going on for months, directed by Juba City Council, to open up roads has been met with mixed feelings by people in the capital.

The plan is to opened up roads occupied by squatters including businesses.

Residents who were affected by it opened fre on demolishers on Wednesday in the area of Gumbo on the outskirt of the capital

According to police spokesman Daniel Justin Buolo, investigations have been launched into the incident.

According to a police officer who was at the scene and who requested anonymity, “the demolition team from Central Equatoria was going to demolish the illegal homes built along the Kuburi teman bridge adjacent to Gumbo residence.”

“As the bulldozers were about to begin the demolition, the illegal occupiers came to the team with guns, and other tools to fight the military team from Central Equatoria,” he said.

Juba has continued to witness a series of clashes between the Central Equatoria States government with land grabbers in recent years.