The Toposa community of Kapoeta East County in Eastern Equatoria State on Friday set conditions for the reopening of Kapoeta-Pibor Road which has been blocked by youth who accuse Murle tribesmen from greater Pibor of child abductions and rustling.
According to authorities, the Toposa youth said that they would allow for the resumption of movement on the road if the two remaining children who were abducted and rustled cattle were returned.
On Monday, Toposa youths blocked the Kapoeta-Pibor Road over allegations of child abductions and cattle raids by suspected Murle. Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) authorities however denied the accusations and described them as false and without facts.
In August, three children were abducted in Wokobu Payam while one was forcefully abducted from her mother in Korkoge village in Kapoeta East by suspected Murle Youth.
Abdalla Angelo Lokeno, the commissioner of Kapoeta East County, told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that the Kapoeta-Pibor Road will remain closed until the two remaining abducted children are returned.
“The citizens of Kapoeta East County need peace. Child abduction is a bad act and it is a very big problem. If the Murle accept to return the missing abducted children, this road will be opened and nobody will question them,” he said. “There is no movement on the road because the four children who are recently abducted should be returned and abduction should not happen again.”
“We want the GPAA government of the Murle to respect the rights of the people in Eastern Equatoria because a system of child abduction is a dirty system,” Commissioner Lokeno added.
Meanwhile, Jenifer Nabongorika Edward, the Eastern Equatoria State Minister of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, appealed to the people of Pibor to be cooperative and return the abducted children. She said free movement and business can only thrive when the two communities co-exist.
“I am appealing to the people of greater Pibor to cooperate with the people of Eastern Equatoria State to help us stop such acts. They should stop child abductions and live peacefully with the neighboring states,” she said. “Eastern Equatoria State is a peaceful state and people were worried when the Murle started using this road. They said the Murle would steal their children but the government stood firm knowing that these people come for a different purpose and to sell their cattle.”
“I am requesting that they work together with the Eastern Equatoria State authorities for the free movement of goods, people, and their cattle,” Minister Nabongorika added.
For his part, Abraham Kelang, the Greater Pibor Minister of Information and Communication, said the conditions set by the Toposa are a clear violation and threat to peace and unity between the two states.
He said there has not been any clear report about the abducted children but admitted that consultations are ongoing to address the matter.
“The conditions set by the youth are supposed to be set by the Government of Eastern Equatoria because the youth are under the government. We as the Government of GPAA have no voice and we will talk with the government. We were still waiting for clear information regarding the accusations,” he said. “There is no clear report about the abducted children for the government to take any step. This report might only be there with the youth and now the conditions are set by the Youth. They (Toposa youths) should also respect their government because such conditions are a violation, and if the Youths in GPAA hear about these conditions, it will be a problem.”
“We appealing to the youth of Eastern Equatoria to cooperate and live in peace,” Minister Kelang added.