South Sudan’s government said the SPLA-IO rebels allied to former first vice president Riek Machar kidnapped two Indian oil workers at Guelguk, home to the Adar oil field in northern Upper Nile.
“The transitional unity government (TGoNU) calls for unconditional release of two Indian nationals. We will not pay 1 million U.S dollars demanded by the terrorists,” Minister of Information Michael Makuei told journalists in Juba on Monday.
Makuei pointed out that Ambrose Edward and Muggy Vijaya Boopathy were working with Petronas Oil Company, adding that they were stopped and taken to an unknown location by Machar’s forces.
Meanwhile, Minister of Petroleum Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth said they have already beefed up security at the various oil fields after the incident.
For his part, Col. William Gatjiath Deng, the SPLA-IO military spokesman, said in a statement that they captured the two Indian nationals at Guelguk during fighting with the government forces.
“Two Indians engineers namely Mr. Ambross Edward and Mr. Muggy Vijaya Boopathy working for the Juba regime were captured alive on Thursday, March 09, 2017,” said Gatjiath.
Photo: Minister of Information Michael Makuei speaks to reporters at a press conference in Juba on Thursday, March 9, 2017/Radio Tamazuj