Kidnappers strike at Nimule road, vanish with four children
At least four children have been kidnapped by a suspected armed group from the Murle community at Aru junction along Juba-Nimule road, a community leader confirmed.
Longino Michael Cook told the City Review that incidents took place on Friday and Saturday. “It was on Friday at Aru Junction our two children were kidnapped by suspected Murle men nearby their compound where they had gone to check on the farm,” he said.
“And yesterday (Saturday), around the same place where those sisters were shot last time in place a called Kyalala, they took another two children belonging to Congolese charcoal dealers. So a total of four children were taken all together just within space of two days,” he added.
According to Mr. Cook, among the four children taken; three of them were girls and while one was a boy. All of them were below the age of eight years.
He added that “our area is under attack by the kidnappers, and it is really a threat to the community and this has been happening [every year] from September to December.”
Cook stressed that the kidnapers were lingering around the area because it is a farming season and they believe the children would be sent to chase birds and animals from the grains.
“Right now as I am talking to you we have lost four children over this weekend including properties [that] were taken away from some people.”
He said the presence of the cattle keepers, charcoal dealers including foreigners in the area were the major causes of insecurity to the community.
Cook appealed to the government to deploy police officers in the area to combat child abduction, adding that it was not the first time that the community had appealed for help from the government.
Two weeks ago, two children were abducted in the same area including nine months baby which was later found dropped by the kidnappers.
“Two children have been taken; one of them was nine years old, and the other nine months old, the abductors went with them.
“After releasing the nine months baby could survive, they threw the child in the bush, the child was later found and collected by the charcoal loggers and brought back to the family after spending almost two days in the bush,” Mr Cook said.
