Armed criminals last week robbed 10,000 USD, 797,000 SSP, and 21 smartphones from the staff of Universal Intervention Development Organization (UIDOR) in Unity state.
The incident occurred in the Dolwaak area of Khoc County last Thursday when the NGO’s staff were traveling from Leer to Bentiu airport.
UIDOR’s peace project officer, Bol Badeng Gatbuok, told Radio Tamazuj that they fell in an ambush by armed robbers between Leer and Khoc Counties.
"On the way from Leer to Khoc County, a group of armed robbers ambushed our vehicle and they took all the properties, 9 bags of clothes, 3 wristwatches, sports shoes from my colleague and myself, 21 smartphones, 10,000 USD, and 797,000 SSP from ten (10) individual staff passengers in the vehicle,” Badeng said. “We surrendered everything to them without resistance as per humanitarian advice and no one was harmed.”
He explained that the staff was robbed on their way to Bentiu airport while taking staff on leave to Juba.
"We reported the incident to police and national security in Tharjiath while on the way and when we reached Bentiu, we went to the Secretariat general, and we reported it to the secretary-general,” Badeng said. “But there is no single property that has been recovered. Losing properties is not easy. Only people like myself are okay because I didn't lose anything much but those who lost money are not okay.”
The minister of information and communication in Unity State, Gabriel Hon Makuei Bol, confirmed that there are notorious armed robbers who are still in the bushes in Unity state.
"I am not aware of that incident which occurred in Tharjiath, but I can confirm to you that there are armed criminals in the bushes who can carry out robberies on the way and they are not rebels,” Minister Hon said.
He said the state government is working hard to organize a joint force that will comprise SPLM-IO and SSPDF to patrol the roads in Unity state to prevent robberies.