Southern Sudan Minister Jimmy Lemi Milla shot dead

Southern Sudan's Co-operatives and Rural Development Minister Jimmy Lemi Milla was shot dead in his offices in Juba. The assailant, who borke into the building, also killed a guard and then shot himself. Milla, was shot dead in the morning shortly after arriving to work, a building about 200m away from the office of the President.

South Sudan's army spokesman Philip Aguer 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."

The incident comes days after referendum results confirmed that Southern Sudan would become the world's newest independent state on 9th July. The latest attack on a government official underlines the country's continual security problem, a topic of great concern since the 2005 peace treaty which ended decades of north-south civil war.

Sources: BBC News, Sudan Tribute, Reuters, Ninemsn

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