Nine children abducted in Nyirol County as Jonglei accuses Murle youth

BOR – Nine children have been abducted in renewed violence in Jonglei State’s Nyirol County, with one of the victims seized shortly after her father was killed in an attack blamed on armed Murle youth from neighbouring Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA).

According to Jonglei State authorities, seven children were taken between Lankien and Yakuach in Nyirol County during a series of raids over the weekend. In a separate but related incident, a woman and her two children were abducted along the Waat–Lankien road after gunmen allegedly killed the children’s father.

The abductions have heightened fears among residents, particularly in Nyirol, where intercommunal tensions have repeatedly flared despite ongoing peace initiatives between Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA).

State officials also reported that on Saturday, February 28, armed youth from the GPAA attacked Baidit Payam in Bor County, killing two men and one woman. The coordinated nature of the incidents has raised concerns about a possible escalation of cross-border violence between the neighbouring areas.

In a statement issued on behalf of the state government, Jonglei Minister of Information Nyamar Lony Thichot Ngundeng strongly condemned the attacks, describing the abductions—especially those involving children—as a grave violation of existing peace agreements and a serious setback to reconciliation efforts.

“The Government of Jonglei State condemns in the strongest terms possible the continued acts of killing and abductions carried out by Murle armed youth on the citizens of Jonglei State,” Nyamar said.

She warned that targeting civilians, particularly children, undermines confidence-building measures achieved through government-led peace initiatives.

“These attacks constitute a grave violation of the peace agreements and confidence-building measures painstakingly achieved through government-led peace initiatives,” she said, adding that such actions threaten to reverse fragile gains toward stability and intercommunal harmony.

The state government appealed to authorities in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area to intervene urgently to secure the safe return of the abducted children and hold those responsible accountable.

“We therefore urgently appeal to the authorities of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area to immediately intervene to apprehend and arrest all individuals involved, return all the abducted children to their families and ensure these criminals are brought to justice,” Nyamar said.

For his part, Jacob Werchum Juok, the Information Minister of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), said his administration has not received any official communication from Jonglei State authorities regarding the alleged abductions, adding that they only learned about the matter through social media.

“We have seen the letter circulating on social media, but the authorities from Jonglei State have not formally informed us about the abduction,” Juok said. “Our border areas are sometimes exploited by criminals who engage in such illegal activities.”

Juok stated that despite the absence of official communication, his government would take the matter seriously and initiate its own inquiries on the ground.

“We will investigate through our security personnel and local chiefs to establish whether any abduction took place in Jonglei State and whether criminals may have crossed into our area with children,” he said.

Despite the latest violence, Jonglei authorities reaffirmed their commitment to peace and called for stronger cooperation between neighbouring communities to prevent further bloodshed.