Local authorities in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) said they are holding four people, including a Kenyan national for involvement in the trafficking of two Kenyan siblings.

GPAA’s local government minister, Simon Logocho Gain, told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that the suspects were arrested in the GPAA’s Muruou County with two boys they trafficked from neighboring Kenya.

“On Monday, two children were brought to Muruou from Kenya via Kapoeta in Eastern Equatoria State. The two children are boys aged 12 and 8 and they are siblings,” Logocho said. “Now, four suspects; a Kenyan man who kidnapped them, a Murle man, and two Jie men from GPAA were arrested by the commissioner and they are now being detained in Muruou.”

He added: “According to the information I got from the Kenyan man, he tricked the father of the two boys that they were being taken to South Sudan for free education at a boarding school.”

According to Minister Logocho, the father of the boys is a drunk and their mother passed away.

“Their father is always under the influence of alcohol so the Kenyan man managed to bring the children to be sold in South Sudan. So, on Monday, the Kenyan national and a South Sudanese who came with the two children were arrested.” He disclosed. “Another man who was coordinating in Muruou town plus a Murle man who took those children to his cattle camp were arrested.”

The local government minister condemned what he referred to as a human rights violation and said arrangements were being made to have the rescued children transferred to Juba.

“The leadership in GPAA is informed and the Eastern Equatoria government will be informed. This is now an international issue,” he said. “Our foreign affairs ministry will contact the Kenyan Embassy in Juba then what happens next will be decided from there.”