Aggrey Cyrus, Commissioner of Yei River County speaking to Eye Radio in Yei on Friday, 18th Feb. 2022. Photo: Woja Emmanuel/Eye Radio

The Commissioner of Yei River County has disclosed that, at least 63 civilians have been abducted by the holdout groups in the area.

The abductions, which mainly occurred in areas of Mapoko, Mugwo and Mukaya, Aggrey Cyrus alleged were mainly committed by the National Salvation Front forces.

He stated that recently 43 civilians were abducted in Mapoko area along the Yei-Maridi road following military offensive carried out by the forces of Gen. Thomas Cirilo.

Six of the abductees were reportedly released with 37 of them still under custody of the NAS forces, Cyrus stated.

He claims some of the civilians were also abducted by the SPLA-IO forces at the cantonment sites in the Yei areas.

“In summary, the record of number of abductees that were abducted last year and January are more than 63”, Aggrey Cyrus told Eye Radio in an exclusive interview on Friday in Yei.

Aggrey Cyrus stated that some of the abductees who escaped or released have been forced to seek refuge in the neighboring countries due to fear of being hunted again.

“Some of these people release, some of them are told to run to Uganda and if they come to their homes they are told they will be hunted”, Mr. Cyrus added.

Commissioner Aggrey Cyrus is now calling on the NAS forces to end resentments and respect the cessation of hostilities agreement signed in February 2017.

He also urges the ceasefire monitoring body CTSAM-VM to hold responsible the holdout groups in the area.

“This is a conflict that even those in bush should not entertain. Let us sit down and discuss issues that make to hate each and we forgive each other and reconcile.”

For years now, NAS forces, SPLA-IO and the SSPDF have traded accusations on attacks, ambushes on civilian convoys and villages, sexual assault on women and young girls including abduction of civilians.

These accusations over attacks have occurred often in areas of Central Equatoria State.

The National Salvation Front is part of the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance or SSOMA which signed the Rome Declaration with the government of South Sudan in 2020.

Efforts to reach NAS and the SPLA-IO for comment regarding the alleged abductions were not immediately successful.