Ugandan truck drivers missing after vehicle seizures in South Sudan

Six Ugandan truck drivers are reported missing after armed men seized their vehicles in Bor Town, Jonglei State, South Sudan. The incidents occurred between Tuesday and Wednesday morning at the Mina Fish Port and Lew-dier docking sites along the White Nile.

According to Isaac Katabazi, chairperson of the Alliance for Heavy Trucks Federation, the armed men are suspected to be soldiers from the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF). The vehicles, which were being used to transport fish, were allegedly commandeered to transport hundreds of armed youths returning from a failed cattle raid in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.

Reports indicate that drivers who resisted the seizure were beaten; at least two Ugandan drivers sustained injuries while being assaulted. Some drivers have reportedly gone into hiding to avoid further attacks, and there are concerns that transport firms may suspend operations in the region due to the loss of neutral status for civilian haulers.