Two children were abducted on Wednesday night at Ajoung Payam, an official from Twic East County in Jonglei State said.

Twic East Commissioner Dau Akoi Jurkuch told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that two children, aged 2 and 4, were taken from their grandmother. The woman accused Murle tribespeople of kidnapping the children.

“We are asking the state and national government to raise this issue with the Boma authorities in order to return these children. We in the this county see it’s a shallow decision to take up arms and intervene like what happened with Ethiopian troops (in Gambella)” Akoi stressed.

Since the beginning of the year, eight children have been abducted, according to Jurkuch.

In separate news, Dau also said that suspected raiders attempted to steal more than 70 cattle at the Pawuoi cattle camp owned by Rebecca Nyadeng, the wife of former President of South Sudan John Garang. The cattle were later recovered.