A prominent South Sudanese civil society group has condemned the kidnapping of ten aid workers in Yei River State on Wednesday, while calling for their immediate release.

Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) on Thursday has expressed its condemnation of the disappearances of the 10 humanitarian workers in Central Equatoria region.

“The act of kidnapping, harassing, intimidating and killing humanitarian workers is totally unacceptable and it may amount to a crime against humanity. The recent rise in harming aid work and aid workers is distributing and demonstrating dangerous developments on humanitarian work,” CEPO said.

 Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO, said politicizing humanitarian work is unacceptable, adding that the recent increase in targeting humanitarian work and workers was negative on humanity.

“South Sudan warring parties or any other actors that feel targeting humanitarian works and workers is a positive act should stop that immediately,” Yakani said.

The rights defender urged whoever is behind the kidnapping of the 10 aid workers in Yei to free them immediately.

The United Nations on Thursday said 10 aid workers went missing in Yei River State when their convoy driving from Yei town to Tore disappeared.

The world body said the ten humanitarian staff, all South Sudanese, include one from UNOCHA, two from UNICEF, one from the South Sudanese Development Organization, (SSDO), two from ACROSS, three from Plan International and one from Action Africa Help (AAH).