Abduction escapee appeals for protection in Akobo

One of the 23 women who escaped abduction in Akobo County, Jonglei State, has urged the government to protect women from the armed youth.

Nyanyak Diew described how they were surrounded in the bush by a group of armed youth.

“Those men came and surrounded us. We only realised when they started catching us and the only thing I thought of was to run,” said Nyanyak, one of the survivors.

 “If there is something that the government can do to stop this killing once and for all, I would be happy because we are tired.

“Everything is dead. You cannot go and collect firewood around the area because you will be caught and killed. Killing is so rampant that we are not able to do anything for ourselves, ” Nyanyak said.

She appealed to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the government to address the challenges facing women in Akobo.

Akobo County estimated that at least three out of the 23 abducted women were dead.

The area’s county commissioner, Gatwech Reat Deng, told The City Review in an interview that the women were ambushed in a deserted place close to a swamp known for fishing activities.

He said the three dead women were part of the group of 23 who were abducted on their way back home from the fishing site.

“The Wednesday incident happened in a place called Chan Kwach. A group of women went there to collect dry fish, and when they were coming, on their way to a Payam called Bong, they fell into an ambush. They were 23, among them, 3 were found dead. “Three of them were abducted and the rest survived,” Kwach said.

The whereabouts of the abducted women are unknown, and no one has claimed responsibility for the ambush.

The commissioner, however, said a group of youth in Akobo County has launched a manhunt for the abductors of the three missing women.

According to a press release on Friday, the Governor of Jonglei State, Denay Jock Chagor, condemned the attacks on Jonglei State’s citizens, claiming that the criminals are from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.

A string of attacks

A total of 34 people were killed in different incidents in Jonglei State last month. They include seven university students who were returning from Ethiopia.

Chagor said that eight people were killed in Twic East County and 40 herds of cattle were stolen in Duk County.

Four people were killed in a separate incident in Uror County, among them a Payam administrator and a chief.

The document stated that four people were killed in Nyirol County, together with a pastor and two deacons.

In another occurrence, five people were killed in Bor County, including two teachers who were riding a motorbike from Pibor in Bor town.

Governor Chagor said in the press release that the incidents triggered the targeted killings of the seven people from Pibor.

He had called on the youth of Pibor to respect the truth for peaceful co-existence among the two sisterly communities.

Food insecurity remains a huge challenge for women in Akobo County, and it’s not uncommon to find women moving in groups to get food and firewood.