Whereas Alfred Baluku, a bus conductor with Bebeto Coach, knew the Nimule-Juba highway in South Sudan was dangerous, he never imagined he would experience a fatal attack firsthand.

On September 24, 2024, Bebeto Coach bus, which Baluku had worked on since February, set off from Juba City for Kampala at 6 am South Sudanese time (GMT +2). On board were 40 passengers, a mix of Ugandans and South Sudanese nationals, along with a turnman, the driver, and two armed soldiers from the South Sudan National Security Service tasked with escorting the bus through the volatile route. 

Baluku recalled that after travelling about 90 km into the journey, sporadic gunfire suddenly erupted from the nearby bush, with bullets targeting the front of the bus.

"The bullets started at random from the front because they first hit the windscreen and there was a big hole in front of the bus. I think it was a strong [big] gun they used and that's when we realized that we were being shot at,” Baluku told URN in an interview on Wednesday.

The driver, despite the continued gunfire, attempted to drive for about 100 meters but was forced to stop as the damaged radiator released steam, obscuring his view through the windshield.

Baluku described the attackers as a group of around 50 gunmen who charged toward the bus, firing continuously. One of the soldiers on board tried to fend them off but was overwhelmed.

"We had two soldiers in the bus, and one was shot and fell out when the bus was still moving....So, the one that was still on board came out and started pushing them back but unfortunately, he was alone, and the guys were coming in big numbers, he tried his level best but couldn’t manage,” Baluku said.

As the soldier ran out of bullets, the gunmen advanced on the bus. Baluku, along with the driver and the remaining soldier, fled into the bush for safety. However, 30 passengers were still trapped inside as the attackers took control. 

From his hiding place, Baluku says he watched as the gunmen surrounded the bus, demanding phones and money from the passengers. They looted the luggage compartment, specifically searching for food.

"They picked every luggage in the boot and put it down and those guys when they were talking, they wanted especially foodstuffs. They were asking "where is the milk, where is the milk?" They took some passengers whom they told to carry the packs to the nearby bush. Some of them were told to sit down and left them unharmed. You can't tell the exact number but they were 50+. They were so many,” Baluku recounted.

For nearly an hour, the attackers ransacked the bus without any response from the government forces. Eventually, they set the bus on fire and retreated into the bush with the uninjured passengers they had captured. South Sudanese soldiers arrived an hour later, prompting the rebels to flee.

Baluku, who survived with minor injuries along with 11 others, was rescued by soldiers after being convinced to emerge from their hiding spot. Five people were severely injured, and one male passenger was killed. The survivors were taken to Juba for treatment.

Baluku, a father of two, was one of five casualties brought to Amuru district for medical care. Four Ugandans and one South Sudanese national were among those treated.

At least 12 victims of the attack have since crossed into Uganda via Elegu Port health centre at the border, according to Patrick Louis Lamot, the port health focal point at the Uganda-South Sudan border.

South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) spokesperson Maj Gen Lul Ruai Koang blamed the National Salvation Front (NAS) rebel group, led by Lt Gen Thomas Cirilo, for the attack. He confirmed that 14 passengers had been abducted and said the army was pursuing the rebels, who fled toward the Nile River. It remains unclear if any of the captives have been released. By URN/ The Observer