At least 27 passengers abducted during an armed ambush on a road in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria State have been released, while an unknown number remain missing, local officials said.
The attack took place over the weekend between Lui and Lanyi Dawa in Mundri East County, along the road linking Juba and Mundri.
Three vehicles – two Land Cruisers travelling towards Juba and a tipper truck – were burnt during the attack.
A separate Land Cruiser travelling towards Yambio and carrying passengers was also caught up in the incident.
Benson George Papa, the acting executive director of Mundri East County, told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that about 32 people had been abducted.
He said 27 of them had since been released and taken to Juba by their families, while others remain unaccounted for.
Some of those released reported being beaten and tortured while in captivity, Papa said.
He also said some women had reported being raped during the abduction.
“What I heard from the abducted people, they are about 32 people who were taken. Twenty-seven came out yesterday [Sunday] and were taken to Juba. But still the remaining people have not yet come out,” he said.
Papa said security forces are conducting patrols along the road but acknowledged that the limited number of personnel makes it difficult to cover the entire route.
Western Equatoria State police said no arrests had been made and that investigations are underway.
Police spokesman Major Martin Joseph Ngbadu said a joint security patrol had been deployed along the road to protect civilians and other travellers.
He urged people planning to use the road to seek the latest security information from police and other security agencies.
“The government has formed a joint patrol team along the Mundri West-Mundri East Road to make sure that the civilians are protected, and all the passengers who are moving on the roads will be protected also.”
Police said the motive for the attack remains unclear and that no group had claimed responsibility.
Isaac Fora, the acting minister of information and communication for Western Equatoria State, said police in Mundri East had visited the scene to investigate the incident and gather information about the attackers.
Fora said the burnt vehicles were later taken to the authorities, while the released passengers had already been taken to Juba by their families.
He said this had made it difficult for police to obtain detailed information about the attackers.
Fora said the incident had created fear among travellers and could affect economic activities in the area.
He said the area was calm and called on armed groups with grievances against the government to pursue dialogue rather than attack civilians.
“You will never achieve what you wanted by attacking innocent civilians moving on the road. If you have a problem with the government, please face the government so that your issue will be sorted out.”
Wanga Emmanuel, chairman of the Civil Society Network in Western Equatoria State, condemned attacks on civilians and called for stronger security along the road.
He said insecurity along the route had affected civilians, humanitarian workers and their property.
The road is an important route for people travelling to Juba for medical treatment and for transporting medical supplies and other essential goods to Western Equatoria, Emmanuel said.
“Whenever there is an economic crisis, civilians are always the victims. Whenever there is a political crisis, civilians are also the ones who suffer.”
He urged the authorities and security forces to strengthen civilian protection and ensure safe movement along major roads in the state.
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