Six children abducted by Murle in Eastern Equatoria handed back to their parents

Juba, South Sudan,

June 11, 2021 – About six children abducted by Murle in Eastern Equatoria have been recovered and handed back to their parents after months of detention by their captors.

Speaking to the media, Longino Michael Kuk, the Chairperson of Lolubo Community in Magwi County of Eastern Equatoria State said among the abductees was Regina Moyo, a 9-year-old girl who was abducted from Nyeli village some 40 miles along the Juba – Nimule Highway.

Michael said Moyo has been handed to her biological mother Suzan Ajou Modi, who hardly imagined the possibility of her daughter reuniting with her.

“Yesterday at 10 am we have a ceremony of Regina Moyo with her mother after 6 months of being abducted by Murle and had been taken to Pibor,” he said.

“I have seen a number of children being handed to their biological families, including 6 from Eastern Equatoria State, and about three of them from Juba including one from my area Lolubo community,” Michael added.

Regina was abdicated in January this year together with two other girls. Michael said the other abductee was never recovered.

“Yes as a community we are happy, especially for Suzan, the mother of Regina, and the entire family though it was a painful thing because since 2008 the area has lost over 200 children to abductors,” Michael said.

“As we speak now we have over 200 children who have been taken by the Murle people and over 30 people have been killed and about 15 of them were wounded during the process of abduction, all from the Olu’ba community,” Michael highlighted.

He said it was through the ceaseless cooperation of the former Pibor Chief Administrator Gen. Joshua Konyi that they managed to rescue the children from the abductors.

“I thank my brother Gen. Joshua Konyi because after he received our complaint, he immediately started by acting as a leader of Pibor Administrative Area.

“After getting the clear information about the abducted children, what he did was to arrest the closest families of those who are keeping the abducted children and threatened to take them to Juba and that was how those girls were found,” he added.

Michael called on the Pibor authorities to cooperate and bring back the children who are still under the custody of their captors.

“Let our government take this issue seriously and they need to intervene and pay much attention to this problem of abduction.

“To be honest, our communities are suffering because since 2008 up to date over 300 children were kidnaped and more than 100 women killed while trying to rescue their children,” Michael added.

Earlier this year, a community from Kubi Village reported the abduction of three children in which a mother was wounded when she was struggling to rescue her children.

“On Wednesday at exactly 3:05 pm along Juba -Nimule Road in Kubi Village of Aru Junction, three children were taken, among the three children were two girls and a boy of three years old,” one of the community leaders told a local media in Juba.

Late last month, Nyamilepedia reported an incident in which two children abducted at the age of eight were returned back to the parents.

David Yau Yau, a former leader in Pibor said abduction has become a source of livelihood as children are abducted and sold in the market for cattle.