VZCZCXRO6888
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0053 0121343
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121343Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5786
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000053 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV EAID ASEC MOPS PHUM SOCI SU
SUBJECT:  Southern Sudan:  WFP Driver Killed in Ambush 
 
REF:  a) Khartoum 02916, b) Khartoum 02667 
 
¶1.  On January 11, the World Food Program (WFP) issued a press 
release stating that an ambush along the Juba - Torit road on 
January 10 resulted in the death of a Sudanese WFP driver, who was 
riding in a pickup truck.  The incident also resulted in a local GTZ 
employee and two accompanying SPLA soldiers being wounded in what is 
the latest in a series of recent ambushes along roads leading out 
from Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan (reftels). 
 
¶2.  The text of the press release is as follows: 
 
(Begin text) 
 
WFP News Release 
11 January 2007 
 
WFP DRIVER KILLED DURING AMBUSH IN SOUTHERN SUDAN 
 
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today that it is 
deeply saddened and shocked by the killing of one of its employees 
during an ambush in southern Sudan on Wednesday, January 10. 
 
The WFP employee, Emmanuel Chaku Joseph, was 28 years old.  He is 
the first WFP staff member to have been murdered in Sudan in years. 
 
"WFP deplores the cold-blooded and senseless killing of a man who 
was working to help his country after many years of war," said WFP 
Sudan representative Kenro Oshidari. 
 
"His death marks a set back to all those who value peace in 
prosperity in southern Sudan, and is yet another example of daily 
outbreaks of violence which threaten the future stability of the 
region," he said. 
 
Mr. Oshidari said the thoughts and prayers of WFP staff were with 
Mr. Joseph's family at this time. 
 
Mr. Joseph was a Sudanese national employed by WFP as a driver.  He 
was assigned to drive for a WFP engineer who oversees a section of 
road being built by a German development organization, GTZ, under a 
WFP contract.  WFP is building close to 3,000 kilometers of roads in 
southern Sudan at a cost of more than $200 million and contracts 
work out to organizations including GTZ to help carry out the 
project. 
 
The ambush occurred when Mr. Joseph was travelling in a pickup truck 
on the road between Juba, the capital of southern Sudan, and the 
town of Torit, where GTZ has a roadside camp. 
 
Southern Sudan is classified as Phase 3 under the United Nations 
security system, which means UN staff are required to adhere to 
strict security procedure. 
 
In accordance with that procedure, Mr. Joseph was travelling with an 
armed escort provided by the southern Sudanese army, the Sudan 
People's Liberation Army (SPLA). 
 
Mr. Joseph, who was not driving the car at the time of the ambush, 
was travelling in the pickup with three GTZ employees and the SPLA 
soldiers.  One of the GTZ employees and two of the soldiers were 
wounded during the attack. 
 
The pickup left Juba at approximately 10am on Wednesday. At 
approximately 11.30am, the pickup was ambushed by a number of 
unknown gunmen who fired automatic weapons at the car.  The body of 
Mr. Joseph was returned to Juba later in the day. 
 
WFP employs 420 people in southern Sudan, most of whom are Sudanese 
nationals.  In 2007 WFP will feed approximately two million people 
in southern Sudan. 
 
(End text) 
 
HUME