By Hou Akot Hou
A protocol officer serving Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, who heads the Services Cluster, died in a road accident along the Malualkon–Wanyjok road in Aweil East County on Wednesday morning.
According to sources on the ground, the deceased was traveling from Amarjal village, where the Vice President was staying, to Wanyjok Town to refuel vehicles in the Vice President’s convoy when the accident occurred.
James Dut Santos, a local youth who said he witnessed the accident near Pan Nhial along the highway close to Malualkon Town.
“The scene was crowded with many people after the vehicle overturned,” Santos said.
“The victim sustained severe injuries and was bleeding heavily. Although he was rushed to the hospital, he died shortly afterwards,” he added
Another resident, Deng Garang, said the vehicle was reportedly traveling at high speed when the accident happened.
“They were driving together with another vehicle from the same convoy,” Garang said. “The driver of the other vehicle is safe.”
Garang described the deceased as a well-known member of the vice president’s team.
“He was responsible for many of the vice president’s protocol arrangements,” he said. “He graduated from Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology in Bor.”
Witnesses reported that the vehicle overturned while traveling toward Wanyjok Town.
However, authorities had not released an official statement on the cause of the crash by the time of publication.
Following the accident, some residents linked the incident to ongoing criticism directed at the vice president over service delivery in the region.
Attempts to reach close aides of Vice President Hussein Abdel Bagi Akol in Amarjal for comment were unsuccessful, as repeated phone calls went unanswered.