A youth group from the Lou Nuer community has appealed for the recovery of six children, including four siblings, abducted during a road ambush in Jonglei State’s Nyirol County last month, as insecurity persists amid clashes between government forces and the opposition SPLA-IO.
According to local officials, the attack took place on July 21 when a convoy carrying local executive chief Tet Yak and his family was ambushed while travelling to the area of Yakuach in Nyirol County. The chief and seven relatives were killed, while six children, including four of the chief’s children, were abducted and remain missing.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Sunday, Chabanil Tut Bath, deputy head of the Lou Nuer youth association, appealed to authorities and community leaders in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) to help trace and return the children, alleging that the attackers had taken them into GPAA territory.
“All those killed and abducted belonged to the same family,” Bath said. “The abducted children include Duop Tet Yak, Nyaruot Tet Yak, Nyakhan Tet Yak, Nyakong Nyaluak Yak, as well as the daughters of Nyanchar Manyal Thoan and Nyantut Nyayual Makuach. We appeal to the government and youth leadership in Pibor to assist in recovering them.”
Bath condemned the killings and abductions, urging swift intervention to prevent further inter-communal violence.
“We believe the attackers were from the Murle community because they left behind some of their belongings while fleeing,” he said. “Our position is to cooperate with the youth in Pibor to recover the children. We are not seeking revenge.”
Jacob Werchum Jouk, the information minister for the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, rejected the accusations, saying the administration had no information about the incident or the alleged abductees.
“We are not aware of the incident, and no abducted children from Jonglei State have been brought into our areas,” Jouk said. “Such accusations are common. Security in that area is fragile because of the ongoing rebellion, so the authorities should investigate thoroughly before blaming Pibor.”
Inter-communal violence between communities in Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area has long been marked by cattle raiding, child abductions and deadly attacks, despite repeated government-led peace initiatives. Recent insecurity has also been compounded by fighting involving government forces and the opposition SPLA-IO in parts of Jonglei.
and then