Map of Pibor Administrative Area. (Courtesy).

Pibor Administrative Area government has confirmed the return of seven people abducted from the area by armed youth in Ayod County of Jonglei State.

Last week, the local government in Ayod said four children and three women previously taken captive by armed youth, have been released.

They were abducted during a revenge attack that spiraled into a widespread inter-communal violence in December 2022.

In an interview with Eye Radio, Pibor Information Minister Abraham Kelang, confirmed the abductees were handed over to the government.

“The information is true. We received last week 7 abductees and they all arrived here in Pibor. These 7 abductees who are returning from Ayod are not new, but they were abducted in December last year by the armed youth from Jonglei,” Kelang said.

“We engaged in a discussion to handle the issue of abductees in the two sides to be returned and reunited with their families.”

Kelang also said the authorities in Bor and Pibor agreed to hand over any abductees from the two sides.

A reprisal attack by thousands of armed youths from Jonglei in December 2022, led to fierce gun battle in Gumurk of Pibor – leaving dozens dead and hundreds abducted.

In October 2023, Jonglei State and Pibor Administrative Area governments agreed to end hostilities and open highways linking the areas to facilitate the free movement of goods and people.

The deal was reached at a peace conference in Juba aimed to discuss ways to end recurrent insecurities caused by cattle raiding, highway attacks and child abductions.

The conference recommended deployment of security forces in the hotspot and border areas of the region to contain child traffickers and raiders.