A boat transporting food commodities and passengers from Juba to Bentiu in Unity State has been held captive by armed youth along the River Nile in Jonglei State for the past five days, as reported by a crew member on board.
The incident occurred on Sunday, November 19th, when the boat was detained without a clear explanation for the action. The boat, laden with food items and passengers, has remained stationary along the riverbanks in Jonglei State.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, John Jal Matiek, the leader of the boat team, said: “We were asked to pay SSP 900,000. The armed youth complained that we had previously used the road to transport our goods and demanded the ransom because we were now using the river.”
He pointed out that the incident has been promptly reported to the Jonglei State government to take action. Jal disclosed that he and the other detainees were fortunate to have food supplies with them, as the area where they were held faced severe food shortages.
“The positive aspect is that no lives have been lost during the boat detention in Adok River. Only SSP 900,000 and an undisclosed quantity of food items were taken by the armed youth involved in the incident,” Jal said.
“As the person in charge of the boat, I immediately reported the incident to the appropriate authorities at the headquarters in Jonglei State, stating that the boat had encountered an accident along the river,” he explained. “As of Tuesday, November 22nd, the boat is still under detention.”
Meanwhile, General Elia Costa Agustino, the Police Commissioner of Jonglei State, has affirmed that the boat, which belongs to a humanitarian agency and was traveling from Bor to Unity State, deviated from its intended course along the river after losing direction.
“The boat struck a rock on the riverbed and veered off in a direction less frequented by river users,” stated Police Commissioner Agustino. He added, “No boat has been detained by armed youths on the river.”
Addressing the reported allegations of a robbery and detention involving the boat carrying humanitarian aid, Police Commissioner Agustino provided clarification, stating, “The boat and its crew are attempting to return to their original path on the river, but they face numerous challenges such as water hyacinth, papyrus reeds, and tall grasses, which have made the river impassable and unnavigable.”