The South Sudanese doctor—who was working for the International Rescue Committee was killed inside a health facility in Ganyliel Payam, Panyijiar County, Unity State, on 21 May/Courtesy photo.

Authorities in Unity State have called on doctors who want to go on strike to give them more time to investigate the killing of their colleague.

This comes after South Sudan health professionals said they will start an industrial strike on Monday to demand justice for their fallen colleague.

Dr. Louis Edward Saleh, an employee of the International Rescue Committee, was murdered in Ganyiel Payam of Unity State on May 21.

Following his death, doctors across the country threatened to lay down their tools if the perpetrators are not identified and held accountable.

They say it is now three weeks and there is no information of any arrests made.

The minister of information in Unity State has now asked the health professionals to give them more time to find out who killed the doctor.

“My message to the doctors’ union is that they should give us time for investigation because it is a process,” the state health minister Hon said on Saturday.

“As the government of unity state, we condemned the case that happened in Ganyiel and the government is still in the process to find out what caused that incident and who caused it.”

Gabriel Hon reasoned that the investigation process needs sufficient time to establish the circumstances of the incident.

He further noted that there is difficulty in communicating with people in remote areas due to the poor telephone network.