Two children were abducted in a road ambush by armed assailants on a group of worshippers in Jonglei State’s Nyirol County on Wednesday, authorities said.
The SPLM-IO-appointed County Commissioner Peter Gatkuoth Koang told Radio Tamazuj that the victims were abducted from their mothers, who were among hundreds of congregants moving to Motot Payam, Uror County, for a church conference when they were waylaid at the outskirts of Tut Payam.
“On Wednesday at 9 a.m., there was an attack by Murle criminals from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA),” Gatkuoth revealed. “About 100 worshippers belonging to the Christian Temple were ambushed while moving from the county headquarters of Langkien to Motot for a church conference.”
“A boy and a girl aged less than two years were abducted from their mothers,” he added.
The official said the congregants, mostly women and children, were unarmed and that no one was killed during the attack. Gatkuoth said the attackers were being pursued by local youth who were later notified about the incident.
“Those people were on a church mission, so no one was armed; that is why the attackers only took the two children and spared their lives,” he stated. “These attackers have since been followed by local youth who received the news of the abduction.”
However, GPAA Information Minister Jacob Werchum Jouk said he was not aware of the incident.
“We are not aware of this incident because our Jonglei State counterparts did not report it to us. The authorities in Jonglei State should have established evidence of identity and itinerary of those criminals so that we may monitor if they were indeed from the GPAA,” he said. “Otherwise, fingers should not just be pointed at one side when there are many armed criminals and rebels in the bushes of Greater Jonglei.”