At least 78 civilians who were abducted along the Juba-Mundri road in Western Equatoria State have been released after spending up to four days in captivity. The abduction occurred on September 26, while the civilians were traveling along the road. According to Benson George Papa, Executive Director of Mundri East County, about 40 people arrived at a police station on Wednesday at about 5am, including 29 men and 11 women, and children.
The group of released civilians included eight people who had been freed earlier, bringing the total number of freed civilians to 78. Papa said there was no information to suggest that any of those abducted had been killed. However, he said the survivors had endured difficult conditions while in captivity. He called on armed groups and other actors to stop abducting civilians, particularly women and children, and urged communities to resolve disputes through dialogue rather than violence.
Survivors described the ambush, with Elisama Gideon, a Baptist pastor from Maridi County, saying he was traveling from Kajo-Keji to Maridi when armed men stopped the vehicle in which he was traveling. About 40 people were taken during the incident, including 36 adults and four children traveling with their mothers. Gideon said several vehicles were stopped and passengers were robbed of money, phones, and other belongings.
The abductees were taken into the bush, where some of the men were beaten and tied up. Gideon said the men and women were separated, making it difficult for him to know what happened to the women. He said the armed men referred to themselves as “guerrillas” and some survivors believed the attackers were associated with an opposition armed group, but this could not be independently verified.
Another survivor, Nora Baraka, said she was abducted on September 26 while traveling towards Juba. She said passengers were ordered to surrender their money and belongings after their vehicles were stopped. More than five vehicles were stopped during the incident, and some were burned. Baraka said the abductees were forced to carry food, cooking oil, and other items taken from the vehicles into the bush.
Two men managed to escape during the journey, while the other abductees continued traveling. She said the abductees became exhausted after being forced to carry heavy loads over long distances. Wanga Emmanuel, chairman of civil society activists in Western Equatoria State, welcomed the release and called for greater protection of people traveling on the roads.
Wanga Emmanuel urged authorities and armed groups to prevent similar incidents from happening again. The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of civilians traveling along the Juba-Mundri-Yambio road, an important route linking communities in Western Equatoria with Juba.
Key points
- 78 civilians were released after being abducted along the Juba-Mundri road in Western Equatoria State.
- The abductees were subjected to difficult conditions, including beatings and being forced to carry heavy loads.
- The incident has raised concerns about the safety of civilians traveling along the Juba-Mundri-Yambio road.
