Two children abducted as families flee hunger from Lafon to Juba

Lafon County authorities in Eastern Equatoria said two more children have been abducted along Lafon-Mogiri road on Thursday while fleeing hunger from Lafon to Juba on foot with their families.

According to the press release authored by Moses Ubote Uthoo, press secretary of the commissioner; the incident bring the number of the abducted children within the same area to 7 since the year began.

Ubote said a 12 years old boy, Akira Tipo  and Achira Ayopa a 14 years old girl were abducted by unknown group of abductors in Ngaangala-Mangala junction just a distance of 2km away from Mogiri town and about 77km away from Lafon county.

“The children were moving on foot from Marguna Payam of Lafon county with their families to Juba via Lafon-Mogiri road. The commuters were 27 in number comprising of vulnerable women and children. According to eye witness, the perpetrators [abductors] are believed to be the Murle People,” the statement partly reads.

The official said the families were left with no option than to risk fleeing the hunger in the county through bushes to Juba in search for food as the natural disaster denied them harvest last year.

“…authority blames these constant incidents on hunger that displaces local people who opt to access Juba through risky Lafon-Mogiri road. Lafon County is hit by terrible hunger that was caused by poor harvest in the year 2022 as a result of flood, armyworms, wildlife and green grasshoppers which destroyed crops,” Ubote underscored.

The county appeals for humanitarian intervention as it helplessly watch the population desert the deteriorating situation in risk to hunt for food.

“We cannot help the situation as the county authority because we do not have a capacity to purchase food items from anywhere to be sold to the local population at subsidiary prices,” Ubote cried out.

The press secretary said Lafon-Ngaangal-Mangala has become a hotspot of child abduction, rape, looting and killing as he accused Murle of carrying out the crimes specially that of child abduction.

“This is not the first time such incidents happened along Lafon-Mogiri road. All these incidents of child abduction, the foot marks of the perpetrators are leading to Greater Pibor Administrative when the local youth pursued the abductors,” Ubote said.

The statement recorded previous five children whom 1 child was abducted in February and four in May this year. The five includes Akuka Fedele Ulum a girl of 14, Uyoo Juma 2 years old girl, Ubaa Uthoo a boy 4 years,Amijo Umille Bilton 5 years boy and Ukuka Ujure Uwinyja 1 year old boy.

Singaita FM could not succeed in all efforts to get commend from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.