A member of the Eastern Equatoria State legislative assembly has levelled accusations against the Greater Pibor youth, claiming their involvement in the abduction of four children and the tragic death of a woman along the Lafon-Mogiri road this week.
Likali Visor Olum, an Eastern Equatoria State lawmaker representing SPLA-IO and hailing from Lafon, expressed deep concern over the recurring incidents of child abduction along the Lafon-Mogiri road by suspected Pibor youth.
He vehemently condemned the actions of the suspected youth from Pibor, describing the incident as inhumane.
“There is a severe hunger crisis in the county. Mothers are coming to Juba with their children in search of a better life. However, criminals take advantage of them on their way, snatching their children from their backs. Recently, a group of women were travelling from Lafon to Juba when these criminals grabbed their breastfeeding children. It was a horrific act. In total, four children were taken, aged one year, 1.5 years, and three years. Another woman clung to her child and tragically lost her life. We are not accusing Greater Pibor youth without reason. Three years ago, five children were returned from Pibor,” he stated.
Lawmaker Likali called for a dialogue to address the issue of child abduction among the sister states of Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area. He urged Pibor youth to refrain from child abduction and embrace peaceful coexistence with their neighbours.
“Pibor Administrative Area, Central Equatoria, and Eastern Equatoria, especially Lafon County, should come together and devise a plan to address the concerns of all three states. We need to recognize that we are one people. If such acts continue, and if abducted children are found in Greater Pibor, a dialogue will be necessary,” he explained.
Megisto Ukach, Commissioner of Lafon County, confirmed the allegations and stated that authorities in Lafon possess substantial evidence supporting the claims. He also criticized humanitarian agencies for failing to respond to the dire hunger situation in the area, which has forced many locals to flee in search of food, making them vulnerable to abductions.
“It is undoubtedly risky. People have no other choice. Even if they stay, their children will face hunger. We cannot prevent them from leaving, and even if we could, what would we provide them? Humanitarian organizations that should be providing support are not responding. The abductors are primarily the Murle; we have concrete evidence as children were recovered from them in the past. It is true that the Murle are responsible for the abductions. However, stopping such incidents has proven to be a challenge. The state government is engaging with the authorities in Greater Pibor to monitor the movement,” he said.
John Abula, Deputy Chief Administrator for the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, denied the allegations but pledged that Pibor authorities would investigate any reports of abducted children in the area. He expressed their commitment to working in collaboration with Eastern Equatoria State leadership to ensure abducted children are safely returned to their parents.
“These accusations have been made before, but we need to establish the facts. As usual, we are collaborating with the Government of Eastern Equatoria. If we recover any abducted children, we will return them to the government of Eastern Equatoria. If there are any cases, we will investigate them thoroughly and take appropriate action,” he stated.
Eunice Nakiru, a women’s activist from Eastern Equatoria State, strongly condemned the act of child abduction and called on the government to intervene. She noted that child abduction was not limited to the Murle community alone but was also carried out by local businesspersons.
“The issue of child abduction is not new; it has been happening since 2013. We have lost countless children to these abductions. While the Murle are often blamed, it has become evident that they are not the only ones involved. We need to identify these perpetrators and understand their motives. These women and their children are vulnerable and seeking survival in difficult times. We must ask who these kidnappers are and where they take these innocent children,” she said.