Local authorities in Duk County of Jonglei State have recovered 13 abductees.
The former abductees, currently in the custody of the local government in Duk, were abducted from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) during the recent inter-communal clashes.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, John Chatim, the Duk County commissioner, said the former abductees were recovered from the county’s Poktap and Panyang areas, and that the recovery process is still ongoing.
“So far, 13 children have been recovered. Nine from Poktap and six in the Panyang area. We are still engaging our local leaders to recover more children in the remote villages,” Chatim said.
He added, “The people of Duk are appealing to our neighbors in Pibor to also recover our children in their custody.”
The local official called on the relevant aid agencies to help facilitate the handover to Pibor.
Commissioner Chatim pointed out that the county is calm without insecurity incidents over the past month, attributing it to the peace conferences held among the greater Jonglei communities.
For his part, Simon Manyok Deng, the state advisor on human rights affairs, applauded the Duk people for the recovery, calling it a good peace gesture and that they will continue engaging communities so that recovery efforts continue.
“As a government, we are doing everything we can to keep the peace intact between Jonglei State and GPAA. Abduction is a crime against humanity. So, we will work with all the partners for peace and development,” he said.
Last month, six people abducted during last year’s attack on Jonglei's Pigi County by armed bandits from GPAA were reunited with their families in the Upper Nile State capital, Malakal.