Mother killed, children abducted in Kapoeta

JUBA – A woman has been killed and two of her children abducted in Nakwa boma of Kapoeta North County in Eastern Equatoria State, authorities have said.

Kapoeta North County Commissioner, Emmanuel Lolimo Epone said the criminal act which happened on Sunday may have been committed by armed Murle youth in Kapoeta after following their footmarks adding that suspects were heading towards Pibor Administrative Area.

“We are urging the communities in Kapoeta North to remain peaceful because we don’t want revenge killing to take place. We need to live in co-existence with our neighbors,” said Lolimo.

“We are going for dialogue and we want the suspects to be arrested and brought to book and we are in collaboration with Pibor Administrative Area government officials to solve the matter amicably,” he added.

Though Lolimo said the killing of the woman was the first of its kind, he admitted that Murle armed youth have been abducting children in the area for quite a long time.

Central Equatoria, Jonglei, and the Eastern Equatoria states have always accused armed youth from the Murle community of child abduction.

Last year, authorities in Jonglei State urged their counterparts from Pibor to ensure all children and women abducted from Jonglei by the Murle armed youth are returned.

David Yau Yau, a former leader of Pibor Administrative Area told Vice News in May this year that child abduction in the region has become a source of livelihood.

“Well, it has, of course, become a business. If someone gets a child from the neighboring community, he’s going to take the child to the market. It has become a part of livelihood,” he said.