JUBA, South Sudan, Nov. 24 — Heavy gunfire erupted in Juba Thursday night, leaving four people dead and two injured during an attempt to relocate former National Security Service (NSS) Director Gen. Akol Koor Kuc. The South Sudan Defense Forces (SSDPF) confirmed the casualties on Friday.
The gunfire began around 7 p.m. and continued sporadically until 10 p.m. SSDPF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, during a Friday evening press conference, detailed the events.
“We have registered four fatalities. We have lost two servicemen, one was from the security forces inside the compound, and the other from outside the fence,” Koang said.
He added that two civilians, a student from the University of Juba and a lawyer, were killed after being struck by armored personnel carriers. Two more civilians were injured in the crossfire and are now in stable condition.
The situation has since been brought under control, Koang said, noting, “We were able to retrieve the dead, take them to the mortuary, and the wounded to the hospital. So as we speak, it is back to business as usual.”
The gunfire occurred as security forces attempted to relocate Gen. Koor from his Tongpiny residence to his secondary home in Jebel. His relocation followed a security meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir.
“The good news is that Gen. Akol Koor accepted to relocate to his second residence in Jebel with his wife, one bodyguard, and a cook,” Koang said, adding that additional security will be provided for Koor but emphasized he is not in detention.
Gen. Koor’s dismissal in early October by President Kiir has been widely viewed as part of a power struggle at the highest levels of South Sudan’s transitional government. Analysts suggest the decision reflects a consolidation of power by Kiir amid rising political tensions.
