Villages along the Juba-Nimule road have suffered numerous insecurity challenges/Credit| Louis Berger.

The government has strongly condemned the killing of civilians, including traders along the Juba-Yei road and Juba-Nimule highway in the past few days.

Five people were shot and killed near Ame-Junction at Kit-2 on Nimule road, on Thursday.

Foreign traders and a commercial truck were also burnt in the attack.

On Sunday, the Central Equatoria state government said at least 10 people were killed in three separate ambushes along the Juba-Yei road.

The attacks took place between Kuli Papa and Ganji in Juba County, and between Limbe and Kenyi Payam in Lainya County.

Among the dead were three Ugandan drivers and one South Sudanese driver.

The killings have mostly angered politicians in Uganda, with calls for the government of South Sudan to explain the attacks.

South Sudan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation says the government is dismayed at the ongoing killings.

Deng Dau Deng blamed the attacks on the opposition, National Salvation Army, but NAS denies the charges.

He described the killing of foreign nationals and South Sudanese civilians as inhumane and unacceptable.

“We condemned in the strongest term possible the attacks that have occurred for the last few days on Juba-Yei road, Juba-Nimule road, these have raised concerns because the government is observing the secessions of hostility that was signed in December 2017 between all the fighting forces by that time,” Deng Dau told Eye Radio on Friday.

He added: “The only group that has remained out now causing all these havoc are the NAS, it has killed civilians both South Sudanese and foreigners that have come to the country bringing goods, and the meaning of that people have been burnt and the meaning of that trucks are destroyed, this is inhuman and it is not acceptable.”

The National Salvation Front or NAS under General Thomas Cirillo is yet to comment on the killings along the Juba-Nimule highway.

When contacted by Eye Radio this morning, its spokesperson, Suba Samuel said he would issue a statement this afternoon.