South Sudan minister shot dead in Juba: army

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

JUBA, Sudan (Reuters) - A minister in the government of South Sudan was shot dead inside his ministry on Wednesday, days after referendum results confirmed the region will become Africa's newest independent state, the region's army said.

"The minister for rural development and cooperation has been killed by a driver working at the ministry. He also killed a guard at the door of the ministry then shot himself," South Sudan's army spokesman Philip Aguer said.

Final results of a referendum on independence confirmed on Monday that South Sudan will become the world's newest state on July 9. The region waged a decades-long civil war with Sudan's north, which ended with a peace deal six years ago.

Officials said the dead minister, Jimmy Lemi, was a former member of the National Congress Party which dominates the north, who had defected to the south's ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement ahead of April 2010 elections.



Read more: http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE71807620110209

[nyy1998]

1. Sigh, so it begins.....nt

[bemildred]

2. Yep. nt