South Sudan Soldiers Arrested in Killing of UN Staffer Near Wau

Overview

• Police say Army Lt. Lino Mariak Chol and two other soldiers were arrested after admitting involvement and revealing where the body was hidden.
• The body of Bol Rhoch Mayol Kuot, a UN language assistant, was found Thursday in a residential area days after he was seized.
• Kuot was taken on 15 December from a UN vehicle by five soldiers after the vehicle stopped with a flat tire near a displacement camp outside Wau.
• Secretary-General António Guterres and UNMISS leadership condemned the killing and urged authorities to bring those responsible to justice.
• UNMISS reports no indication the crime was ordered from higher levels as the manner and motive are still under investigation, with the case unfolding during a year of rising attacks on aid workers and a 15% cut to the mission’s budget.