Landmine kills 20 in South Sudan oil state

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At least 20 people were killed and five others critically injured when a landmine blew up a pick-up landcruiser in the oil-rich Unity state in South Sudan, an official said on Monday.

Unity State Information minister Gideon Gatpan said that the fatal incident took place on Sunday between Mayom and Mankien counties, which were the bases for the former rebel leader Peter Gatdet.

The rebel leader later struck a peace deal with the government and returned to Juba in August, while his forces are being absorbed into the regular army.

“When the truck slipped out of the road due to many potholes, immediately it was exploded by the landmine,” Mr Gatpan said Monday.

“The rain has made the road too slippery and big trucks have worsened them,” Mr Gatpan said, blaming the state of affairs on the the rebellions in the state.

Late rebel leader Peter Gatluak Gai, who was shot dead by his deputy for allegedly intending to backtrack on a peace deal he had reached with the government days earlier, was also concentrating his operations in Unity State – burning huts and looting property.

The landcruiser blown up was carrying passengers to Mankien, Mr Gatpan said.

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