South Sudan Aid Doctor Killed ‘in Cold Blood’ Amid Rising Attacks

A file photo shows South Sudanese policemen and soldiers are seen along a street following renewed fighting in South Sudan’s capital Juba, July 10, 2016 (Photo: Reuters)
A file photo shows South Sudanese policemen and soldiers are seen along a street following renewed fighting in South Sudan’s capital Juba, July 10, 2016 (Photo: Reuters)
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South Sudan Aid Doctor Killed ‘in Cold Blood’ Amid Rising Attacks

A file photo shows South Sudanese policemen and soldiers are seen along a street following renewed fighting in South Sudan’s capital Juba, July 10, 2016 (Photo: Reuters)
A file photo shows South Sudanese policemen and soldiers are seen along a street following renewed fighting in South Sudan’s capital Juba, July 10, 2016 (Photo: Reuters)

A South Sudanese doctor was murdered in the northern, oil-rich Unity state, and colleagues threatened Sunday to go on strike if those responsible are not found.

The murder, which took place Friday, follows the killing of a nurse in April in Eastern Equatoria, a south-eastern state.

On Sunday, a statement released by The South Sudan Doctors’ Union (SSDU), said it was “deeply saddened on the killing of our member, Dr. Louis Edward Saleh in Ganyiel village in Unity State.”

South Sudan is one of the most dangerous countries for humanitarians, with nine aid workers killed there last year, according to the UN.

In January, an aid worker with Joint Aid Management (JAM) was shot dead near Bentiu, which is also in Unity state.

The SSDU said Saleh was working at a clinic sponsored by the International Rescue Committee charity, and was “was killed in cold blood within the facility.”

The IRC did not immediately respond to the report but the regional health ministry said an investigation had been launched.

The SSDU expressed alarm at a series of alleged threats, beatings, arrests, detentions, tortures and killings in several states in recent months.

In mid-May, a humanitarian worker died when an aid convoy came under fire in the west of the country, according to the UN.

The SSDU threatened a strike if investigations are not carried out and those responsible for killing Saleh and the nurse are not found and prosecuted.

South Sudan is struggling to emerge from a six-year civil war that claimed some 380,000 lives and officially ended with the creation of a government of national unity in February last year.



Vehicle Smashes Through Illinois Building, Killing 4 Young People and Injuring Others

Police block a road leading to a building where a car smashed through during an after-school program, killing several people and injuring others, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Chatham, III. (AP Photo/ John O’Connor)
Police block a road leading to a building where a car smashed through during an after-school program, killing several people and injuring others, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Chatham, III. (AP Photo/ John O’Connor)
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Vehicle Smashes Through Illinois Building, Killing 4 Young People and Injuring Others

Police block a road leading to a building where a car smashed through during an after-school program, killing several people and injuring others, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Chatham, III. (AP Photo/ John O’Connor)
Police block a road leading to a building where a car smashed through during an after-school program, killing several people and injuring others, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Chatham, III. (AP Photo/ John O’Connor)

A car smashed through a building Monday afternoon, killing four young people and injuring several others during an after-school program in a small city outside of Springfield, Illinois, police said.

Officers responded at about 3:20 p.m. to calls about a vehicle ramming through the building, fatally hitting four people before exiting the other side, Chatham Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Tarter said.

Those killed were between the ages of 4 and 18, Illinois State Police said in an emailed statement. Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon identified the victims as “female students,” saying their identities will be released after family members are notified. Several other people were hurt and taken to hospitals, reported The Associated Press.

It wasn’t immediately known what led up to the crash or whether it was intentional.

Monday's crash is the latest instance of people driving vehicles into groups of people across the globe. Only two days earlier, a car plowed through a crowded street during a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, killing 11.

The Illinois driver, who was uninjured, was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was taken to a hospital for evaluation, Tarter said. Police haven't said if the driver was arrested or taken into custody.

“I am horrified and deeply saddened by the deaths of children and numerous injuries in Chatham this afternoon," Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement. “My heart is heavy for these families and the unimaginable grief they’re experiencing – something that no parent should ever have to endure.”

He said his office was monitoring the situation and was ready to lend support.

The struck building and facilities house Youth Needing Other Things Outdoors, which holds after-school programs and summer camps, according to its website.

As evening fell, police cars with lights flashing still blocked streets leading to the building. On its Facebook account, the Chatham Police Department asked for prayers.

“A terrible tragedy has occurred here that has affected all of us,” the message ended.

By Monday night, some members of the community and beyond had changed their Facebook profile photos to an image of a red ribbon and the words “Chatham Strong.”