At least two people were reportedly killed and four children abducted by unidentified assailants in Uror County, Jonglei state, local authorities said.
Speaking to the Nile Witness on Tuesday, Gatkhor Gatluak Koryom, Uror County Commissioner, stated that the incident occurred about 4 p.m. on Monday in Nyandiet Payam, when a suspected armed group from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) attacked a family traveling to Nyirol County in Rupkuay forest.
He said the criminals had hidden themselves behind the trees and targeted the two men traveling with the children, fired their guns and killing them on the spot.
“The incident happened yesterday [Sunday] in the evening hours at actually around 4 p.m in Nyandiet Payam of Uror County. There were two men and four children who left for Nyirol County in the morning and upon their arrival in the Rupkuay forest, they were attacked by criminals from Murle community and the two men were killed. The four children that they were walking with tried to run but they caught them and took them away,” Koryom said.
Koryom pointed out that among the abducted children were three boys and one girl aged five to ten years.
He stressed that incidents in the Rupkuay forest are uncommon, and people in trouble are rarely saved due to the distance.
“The only problem is that any incident that has happened in Rupkuay, the people affected are rarely rescued because the forest is very far. And it’s very hard for the people to be rescued when an incident happened. So, amongst these children, there were three boys and one girl that were taken by the Murle criminals,” he stated.
He added, “Rupkuay is a forest with many towering trees, and if thieves planned to ambush passengers, they always kill them. Especially if the people journeying on foot are women and children who do not have gun. They could kill the women if they refused to give up their children.”
Koryom urged the GPAA administration to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.
When contacted by the Nile Witness, Jacob Werchang, GPAA’s Information Minister, stated that he was unaware of the incidence and promised to investigate if it occured.
“We did not receive any call from the Jonglei state authorities regarding this matter. But I will ask our local authorities to find out from them,” he said.