The Abyei Administrative Area Information Minister Bulis Koch Wednesday announced receiving five youth from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) element who captured them while returning home from Sudan.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Koch said the youth were detained five days ago and that the joint committee of the Abyei and Misseriya communities were in dialogue with the RSF to pay for their release.
“We had five young men who were coming from Sudan to Abyei after losing their relatives in Sudan during this conflict. When they reached Mujlad town, they hired a vehicle to Amiet but they were arrested in the area called Nahm where there is a presence of RSF and rebel forces under Gen. Stephen Buoy,” said Koch.
“Those who arrested them demanded 61 million SSP. After five days of dialogue, they were released,” Koch added.
He said that due to the dialogue, the northern committee managed to generate 5 million SSP and secured the release.
“The Abyei committee managed to engage with the Misseriya to talk to those people and the northern committee managed to pay 5 million SSP demanded,” he added.
The Information Minister urged the Government of South Sudan to engage with its northern counterpart to address the border issues, especially the human trafficking challenges.
“We have a message to the national government that the border area is in danger and this is going to affect the two administrations of Ruweng and Abyei. The Rapid Support Forces and the rebel group are concentrating along our borders, creating a danger to our returnees from Khartoum,” he added.
Koch mentioned that the development was affecting the returnees since most of them were using the Abyei road.
“If they are betraying citizens along the way, asking for money, this is going to affect the movement and this is why I am calling on the national government to address the border issue with the Khartoum government,” he said.
He also called on the Defense Minister to look into the matter.
Koch said that despite the good condition of the five released youth, the Abyei administration had sent them to hospital for checkup since they had gone for five days without food.
RSF officials could not immediately be reached for comment.