The local authorities in Warrap State’s Twic County and Rumamer County in Abyei Special Administrative Area (ASAA) on Monday said a man who was kidnapped by Messiriya Arab nomads in Abyei and held in captivity for two days has been released.
Twic County Commissioner Simon Aguek said Matur Tot was released on Monday to the SSPDF unit deployed in Annet and Agok.
“A youth from Ajak Kuac Payam in Twic County went fishing along the river near Awal village in Abyei’s Rumamer County and was abducted by Messiriya Arab nomads over the weekend,” he said. “They later released him to SSPDF Bridgade based in Aneet on Monday. I was just informed by the SSPDF area commander that this man was safe at their site and would be taken to hospital because he was badly beaten in captivity.”
The commissioner said he did not know whether the SSPDF managed to apprehend the abductors.
He stated that the former abductee would be reunited with his family in Ajak Kuac after undergoing medical treatment.
On his part, Abyei’s Rumamer County Commissioner Ayuel Kiir contradicted his Twic County counterpart and said that indeed Messiriya Arab pastoralists were responsible for the abduction but that they handed Matur over to Abyei’s Titbaai (home guard) armed youth who later spared his life and released him to Rumamer County authorities.
“No SSPDF soldier reaches the area he was captured in. This man (abductee) is a Nuer from Ajak Kuac and is called Koang. He was captured by Messiriya nomads but three other youths with him who were carrying guns ran away,” he explained his version of events. “The Messiriya handed him to Titbaai armed youth and he was about to be killed. Fortunately, the head of the Titbaai immediately arrived and saved his life.”
Commissioner Kiir added: “The head of the Titbaai armed youth called me and I told him to bring the captive and called Colonel Madit, one of the commanders of SSPDF in Annet, to take him to his people in Ajak Kuac unharmed.”
The presence of the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) deployed between Twic County and Abyei has improved the security situation although isolated cases of insecurity occur occasionally.
Last week, a man was killed in Gakyuom village, and over 300 goats were raided at Machbuong village in Abyei’s Rumamer County. The SSPDF forces killed two suspects, captured two others, and recovered more than 40 goats from the raiders, officials said.