They were among dozens of people abducted during last year’s raids by the White Army in Panyikang and Fashoda counties.

The 12-member team was supposed to travel to the Guil area in Ayod yesterday, but the mission failed after a UN chopper they boarded crashed-landed shortly after taking off from Juba International Airport.

The Deputy Chief of Defense Forces, General Gabriel Duop Lam, and Ismail Adowk, a former Commissioner of Manyo County are members of the committee.

Altyeib Ajang Okeec, Upper Nile Security Cdvisor told Eye Radio that they have been tasked to meet a Spiritual leader in Ayod for the release of abducted children.

“We have been assigned by the government of Upper Nile State as a team. I, as peace and security affairs advisor, and advisor of human rights, and minister of peace, and members of the civil administration, also with us is deputy chief of defense forces Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam and other military members,” said Ajang.

“The purpose of the committee to visit is that we are going to Ayod to meet with Makuach because he initially agreed to cooperate with Upper Nile Government, that’s why he asked the Upper Nile government to come and handover the 41 children who were abducted in the incident of Western Part of Upper Nile.”

The move comes a month after the governor of Upper Nile state told a rally in Malakal town that the Ayod spiritual leader accused of perpetrating last year’s violence in Panyikang County promised to release dozens of abductees.

The governor said he established contact with a spiritual leader for the release of abductees of the October 2022 violence in the area.