Local authorities in Nyirol County of Jonglei State said armed men abducted five children in separate attacks in the county on Sunday. 

James Bol Makuey, the Nyirol County commissioner, told Radio Tamazuj that an old man and his children were waylaid while traveling from What to Langkien and the minors were abducted on Sunday. 

“This (Sunday) afternoon, an old man who was taking his four boys aged 3 to 13 from Waat Payam to Langkien town and they were waylaid and all the children were taken,” Commissioner Bol said. “An old woman who was with them was also kidnapped but the attackers later released her unhurt.”

He added, “In another incident, a 5-year-old girl was abducted from her mother while moving from Tut Payam to Langkien. The woman ran away and came and narrated that it was Murle tribesmen who abducted her child.”

The commissioner claimed the attack was carried out by suspected bandits from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA). 

“We are for peace but youth groups from GPAA are still attacking us. We are still wondering if peace is still there. I urged my counterparts in GPAA to recover those abductees,” Bol said.

Brigadier Martial Gatluak, the county police inspector, said there has been a rise in insecurity incidents over the past few days and that they have resolved to provide escorts to all the travelers to curb killings and abductions along the road. 

“Yesterday (Sunday), children coming from What were adducted. In another incident, a mother ran away when they were waylaid and her child was abducted,” Brig. Gatluak said. “That area where the ambushes happen is a desert and there are no inhabitants so the criminals carry out acts there. We will now provide an escort on the roads.”

For his part, John Abulla, the deputy GPAA chief administrator, said he is not aware of the incident because they have not been informed by the Jonglei State authorities. 

“As we speak, our commissioners and local chiefs are now disseminating peace programs and mobilizing the youth to live together in peace,” Abulla said. “So, for those who commit crimes there in Jonglei (State), We normally get information from our counterparts from there. We do not know who is behind that attack.”