This archive report was first published on 17 June 2020.
On June 17, 2020, South Sudan's military confirmed the death of businessman and 7th October Movement chairman Kerbino Wol in Rumbek East County.
According to Maj Gen Lul Ruai, Army spokesman, Wol and his two fighters were killed in the Ayen Mayar Village after a four-day offensive.
Wol had been engaging government forces from the 16th Infantry of the 6th Infantry Division for four days, Maj Gen Lul Ruai said.
“Wol has been engaging our forces from the 16th Infantry of the 6th Infantry Division for the last four days. We have been fighting him from the 11th and yesterday [Sunday] was the success of our operations,” Maj Gen Lul Ruai stated.
He died alongside two other fighters, including a local youth leader who had been hosting him in his house.
The wife and son of the local youth leader were wounded in the crossfire and were seeking medical attention in Rumbek.
Wol had launched the 7th October Movement, an armed opposition aimed at fighting for the rights of South Sudanese, alleging marginalisation by President Salva Kiir's administration.
Wol was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2019 for security threats, but was granted amnesty by President Kiir in January this year.
Wol was accused of inciting violence that led to a standoff between detainees and soldiers at the National Security Service headquarters in Juba on October 7, 2019.
