Three people who went missing after they were waylaid by bandits in Nyirol County of Jonglei State late last month were over the weekend found alive and rescued after spending about a week in the bush.

On November 27, at least 3 people, including a pastor, were killed, a child abducted and five others went missing when a group of locals leaving for Langkien town to attend a church service were waylaid by armed bandits in the Cwil area.

John Both, a Nyirol Presbyterian Church elder, told Radio Tamazuj that three of the missing people have been found and are being treated at a health facility in Langkien.

“Here in Langkien town, we received 2 of the missing people while another person who sustained a gunshot wound returned to Cwil,” Both said. “Those people were recovered by our youth after four days. They are being treated now because they have spent days without food and water.”

The church official called on the youths to desist from violence and urged the government to foster security, warning that a vicious cycle of violence could hit Greater Jonglei if the trend continues.

Brigadier Marial Gatluak, the county police inspector, confirmed that missing people were rescued by the police and local youth on Saturday after days of searching but that two other children who are still missing might have been kidnapped by the assailants.

For his part, James Bol Makuey, the Nyirol County commissioner, said those rescued are being offered support and that they are responding well to treatment.

The county commissioner called on the GPAA authorities whose youth have been accused of involvement in the attacks to find and return the missing children.

Earlier, GPAA information minister Jay Adingora said he had no knowledge about the incident.