Two abducted women freed in Jonglei

March 2, 2013 (BOR) – Two abducted women with their four children have been returned to Jonglei’s capital Bor on Saturday after being abducted from their homes in Pibor County, during inter-tribal conflict between Lou Nuer and Murle in 2011.

One of the young women, Kaka Lual, who is in her 30s, said she has still not been reunited with one of her daughters who was abducted at the same time as her, in August 2011, when members of the Lou Nuer attacked Pibor.

Kaka said that she suspects her daughter is in the custody of Lou Nuer men in Nyirol County, where she was also taken. Her two children were separated and taken to different villages by the abductors, she said.

Although she was happy to meet members of her Murle tribe in Bor, Kaka said that she hoped she could be reunited with her husband who she had not seen for over a year and a half.

In August 2011, a huge force of about 6,000 armed Lou Nuer youth launched what they called a retaliatory attack against Murle villages in Pibor in response two consecutive weeks of cattle raiding on their territory.

The fighting resulted in the killing of hundreds of people with many more either displaced or abducted. Around 2,000 people have died in the clashes in 2011 and 2012.

Jonglei state’s minister of youth, sport and culture, Baba Medan, said he appreciated the efforts made by Nyirol County authorities, with the help of UNICEF and Save the Children, to return abducted women and children.

“Although there is problem in Pibor, still the Commissioner of Nyirol is bringing people who were abducted from Pibor. We also need that the Commissioner of Pibor to apply the same system if there are abductees in his county,” Medan said.

The women were abducted in Kariak, east of Pibor County in August 2011 and were taken to Nyirol were they married to their abductors from the Nuer ethnic group.

“Our communities have interest in peace but, it was interrupted by renegade David Yau Yau in Pibor County and the government will help in supporting the communities to adapted peace among the communities,” Medan said.

At a different event on Saturday, Jonglei governor, Kuol Manyang, said his state had been experiencing instability before and after the independence of South Sudan in 2011.

“Lets everyone contributes in peace dissemination such that peace return to the state of Jonglei,” Governor Kuol said, adding that “security is everyone’s business”.

(ST)