South Sudan minister ‘knocked down’ by boda-boda

JUBA – A senior South Sudan government and opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) official has been wounded after being knocked down by boda-boda in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state capital Aweil.

Lual Lual Gau, the minister of parliamentary affairs for Northern Bahr el Ghazal State was knocked down in a gruesome accident on the streets of Aweil by a boda-boda slightly injuring his hand.

In a statement to the media, Lual blamed the incident on senior government official walking to walk and home on foot in the state and appealed to the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit for means of transport for public officials.

“I appeal to the government to provide all ministers’ entitlements like safety and security as long as they are appointed at the state or national level,” Lual said in an interview with the independent Eye Radio.

“The main reason for the accident is because I was walking. I was going to the clinic in Aweil for treatment before the accident. I am a member SPLM-IO that why I don’t have a car,” he added.

He said all minister coming from the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IG) under President Salva Kiir Mayardit in northern Bahr el Ghazal state have cars, but all the four SPLM-IO ministers have no cars.

“There are some ministers from the government party who are ministers without ministries, and the state government has rented cars for them. Currently, we are four ministers from SPLM-IO, walking on foot we have no cars,” he said.

“I was walking home because I don’t have a car from the airport clinic at seven o’clock in the evening. A few meters from the clinic. A drunk person on a motorbike came quickly and did not have lights on the motorbike, with another passenger. Suddenly I felt a hit from the motorbike and I was rescued by people near the hospital,” he added.

He said they have “made a report to the police, who confirmed that he was a drunk boda-boda rider, and the doctor treated me for the injuries that I had in the shoulder and hand.”