At least 14 community health workers who were abducted by armed men have been released after spending more than two weeks with their captures in Yei River County’s Lasu Payam in Central Equatoria state.
The health workers were dispatched by the county health department to administer oral vaccinations to the local population in Lasu Payam when they were abducted.
A chief in Lasu Payam who spoke to Radio Tamazuj on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals confirmed that the 14 abductees, who included two female health workers, were kidnapped on the 26 August and were released without ransom on Wednesday.
According to the chief, the health workers who were kidnapped from two different villages were accused by their armed abductors of conducting an illegal population census.
“They were found with vaccination cards and according to them they were accused to be conducting a population census in the area but they were on a health mission conducting oral vaccination,” the chief said. “They were kidnapped from Makuta Banja villages. All of them were released Yesterday (Wednesday).”
Meanwhile, Justoson Victor, a human rights defender, condemned the incident and appealed for peace and the protection of civilians, and the provision of free access for humanitarian workers.
“We condemn these kinds of incidents because humanitarian workers serving people should be respected because these are service providers and we ask for open and safe corridors for humanitarian workers,” he said.
Victor asked the relevant organizations to give the former abductees trauma and psychological counseling.
This is the first incident involving the abduction of local health workers since the beginning of the year and no armed group has claimed responsibility.