Newest Nation: Off to a Good Start

Only a few days old and already the country is learning about political assassinations.
The rural development minister must not have been Islamic enough.


(Reuters) - A South Sudan minister was shot dead inside his ministry on Wednesday, days after referendum results confirmed the region will become Africa's newest independent state, the southern army spokesman 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 nation on July 9.

Three officials confirmed the dead minister was Jimmy Lemi. No motive was immediately clear for the attack, which underlines insecurity in the South Sudan capital Juba ahead of independence.