By Yang Ater Yang
A medical worker was critically wounded in a suspected revenge attack at Cueibet County Hospital on Thursday evening.
The victim was shot at approximately 5:00 PM while performing his official duties.
Authorities said the suspected attackers were relatives of a man who had died at the hospital.
The deceased had earlier been evacuated to Cueibet County Hospital after sustaining gunshot wounds in Malou-Pech Payam.
The hospital’s Chief Medical Officer, Simon Makoi Malek, said the relatives became angry following the patient’s death.
He alleged that they targeted Kau because they suspected the people responsible for the earlier shooting came from Malou-Pech Payam.
“The incident occurred, and Doctor Santino Mayom Kau did not even know what was happening,” Malek said.
He said the nurse was shot in the chest, but the bullet reportedly exited his body.
Kau was subsequently transferred to Rumbek State Hospital for further medical treatment.
The caretaker Minister of Information, Communication, Youth and Sports, William Koji Kirjok, confirmed the attack on Friday.
Kirjok said preliminary information suggested that the shooting was connected to a revenge-related incident.
He added that the suspected attackers had not been arrested and remained at large.
“According to preliminary information from people around him, the case is related to revenge,” Kirjok said.
The minister said the government would work to ensure those responsible were apprehended and brought before the law.
He condemned revenge killings, saying Lakes State authorities remained committed to preventing violence within communities.
Kirjok acknowledged that revenge-related incidents continued despite government efforts to reduce their occurrence.
He said authorities were working with chiefs, community leaders, intellectuals, and local politicians to address the problem.
The minister urged residents to report disputes and criminal cases to police and courts instead of taking the law into their own hands.
Meanwhile, Daniel Laat Kon, CEPO coordinator and chairperson of the Civil Society Organisations Network (CISON) in Lakes State, condemned the attack.
Kon called on the state government to urgently address recurring revenge killings in Cueibet County.
He also urged authorities to consider disarming civilians as part of broader efforts to prevent further violence.
Kon expressed concern that revenge attacks continued in the area without sufficient attention to resolving their underlying causes.
He called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those suspected of carrying out Thursday’s shooting.
The attack has raised further concerns about the safety of healthcare workers and patients in medical facilities across violence-affected communities.