Authorities of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) said they received 68 abductees from the neighboring Jonglei State counterparts during a ceremony in the GPAA capital, Pibor town on Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj Wednesday, Information Minister Abraham Kelang said the recovered abductees, which include 52 children, were kidnapped by Jonglei State armed youth when they attacked GPAA’s Gumuruk County on 24 December 2022.
“This afternoon, we received some of our abductees from the Jonglei State deputy governor. They include 24 boys, 28 girls, and 16 women,” Kelang said.
The official lauded the Jonglei State government for the recovery of the abductees whom he said are receiving psychosocial support in Pibor before they are reunited with their families.
“All the abductees look traumatized. So they are here in our custody so that they receive support from partners and the government. These abductees were recovered from Bor but the majority are still in the hand of the attackers. So we call on the Jonglei State government to do more,” he said.
For his part, John Samuel Manyuon, the Jonglei State information minister, said the abductees were recovered through negotiations with armed youth.
“We recovered 65 abductees. 41 children aged between 8 months and 13 years, and 24 women. They were recovered through negotiation with the ringleaders of the youth. They willingly gave us the children,” he said.
Simon Manyok Deng, a state human rights advisor, said the recovery and handover is a gesture of peace.
“The return of these children even as the situation remains dire is a gesture that we are for peace and committed to the Pieri peace conference. Abduction is a violation of a child’s right to a dignified life. So the recovery is a good step and I call on Pibor to emulate the same move to show that we are ready to usher our people to peaceful coexistence,” he said.