Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Authorities in Jonglei State confirmed that at least three women were killed and 18 young girls were abducted in Akobo County on Wednesday. Gatwech Reat Deng, Akobo County Commissioner said that 23 women had gone for fishingand after returning back home, an unidentified men attacked them.
“only two of the women managed to escape and the rest were fell in ambush. the attackers were headed East toward the neighboring Greater Pibor Administrative Area.,”
At the same time, Jay Adingora Alual, Information Minister in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area dismissed the information by saying that he was not aware about the incident.
“Some armed young men have been mobilizing fellow young people in the remote villages of Nanaam and Likwangole for unknown reasons and they could be carrying out the attacks.We did not have official information from our counterpart,”
He added that the government of Jonglei State did not notify them and the Commissioner of Akobo County as well. Alual said that he could not deny the occurrence of the incident as if Akonbo authorities reported thematter, it meant that it may probably be their side.
He revealed thatthe lack of feeder roads and communication networks in the area made it difficult for Pibor authorities to quickly detect and prevent criminal activities. Alual said, Pibor officials, including chief Administrator Lokali Amae, were making arrangements to visit the area to halt the criminal activities.
“Those people are there just by themselves- there is no government close to them, there are not even humanitarian services to them, there is no road and there is no network. That is actually remote and as such there is a need for the government to go there so that we sensitize them about the importance of peace and stop them from all the activities that they are doing and we hope it will work this time,” Alual added.
Meanwhile, Tuong Majok, the Acting Governor of Jonglei State, condemned the killing and urged the authorities in Greater Pibor to immediately find the abductees and return them as soon as possible.
“The government has strongly condemned it and we are conveying our heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their wives in a fatal ambush and those women who have been abducted. The act is not normal and it’s not acceptable and we want to echo this message to our Greater Pibor Administrative area to caution their youth at large,” Majok said.
Several fatal road ambushes and abductions have been reported recently across Jonglei state. Acting Governor Majok said the incidents have put the region at the verge of falling back into communal invasion and attacks.
“The community of Jonglei state always went to Greater Pibor in anger not by intent when occurrences are always recycling the way it is, that makes the youth angry and violently in an amoral manner. Our fear is that incident after incident from day to day and from week after week, we don’t know what might happen with the youth but we don’t support any violence to happen between the communities,” Majok added.
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