Armed men abduct children after killing parents in Lokiliri Payam
By Aguok Chok
The Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, has condemned in the strongest terms the killing of two parents in Lokiliri Payam of Juba County on Sunday.
The attackers abducted two children from the family after killing their parents.
“I would like to take this opportunity to strongly condemn a criminal and unacceptable act that took place yesterday at 11 p.m. in Lokiliri Payam of Juba County, where gunmen around Aru Junction have killed two parents, namely Agnes Moyo Ajo, who is pregnant and the wife of Abraham Ladu Dominic Okello. Both of them were killed by the armed men in front of their two children,” Yakani said.
According to him, the children who witnessed the killings, seven-year-old Zakayo Lado Abraham and four-year-old Thomas Lako Abraham, were abducted by the gunmen along with other children from nearby families.
“All these six or five children were abducted by the gunmen who killed the two parents around 11 p.m. in Lokiliri Payam of Juba County,” Yakani explained.
The activist described the attack as a tragedy that has left families devastated. “Also, the family of Joseph Tombe and Betty Kaku has lost their child, or their child has been abducted.
The CEPO executive director appealed for urgent government action to protect civilians in Lokiliri.
“I appeal to His Excellency Governor of Central Equatorial State and Honorable Commissioner of Juba County and particularly to His Excellency President to help in serving tracing those abducted and serving justice to the families,” Yakani urged.
He stated that similar incidents have been happening repeatedly, “Lokiliri Payam of Juba County has been experiencing consistent incidents of children being adopted or children being killed in the eyes of the government without any genuine and effective response. Why should the population of Lokiliri Payam always cry for their children being abducted or elderly people being killed?” he asked.
Yakani further alleged that the crimes are linked to individuals from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.
“Normally, the fingers are pointed towards individuals who are criminal-minded, who normally come from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area to do this exercise. This does not represent the population of Pibor Administrative Area, but it represents criminal-minded individuals,” he stressed.
He urged cooperation between local authorities and Pibor leaders to end the killings.
“I would like to take this opportunity with a high respect and honor urge His Excellency Chief Administrator of Greater Pibor Administrative Area, His Excellency Gola, to ensure that these individuals who are criminal-minded who does not represent the culture and the values of population of Greater Pibor Administrative Area to be brought to book and they should be held accountable,” he said.
Yakani said he is disturbed and left in tears to see two parents being killed and their children being abducted.
“Look at the trauma and the stress the children are undergoing. This is unacceptable. This is a slave trade behavior. This is an act of crime against humanity that should not be condoned.”
