The Chief Administrator of Greater Pibor, has called on Jonglei and Pibor community leaders, youth, and national government authorities to take collective responsibility in ending child abductions and cross-border criminal activity, adding that peace and security require active enforcement alongside community engagement.

Speaking at the 8th Inter-Communal Governance Structures (ICGS) Peace Conference in Bor, Gola  Boyoi Gola commended the efforts of local leaders and development partners in reducing violence over the past two years

He also stressed the need for stronger law enforcement to tackle ongoing criminal networks exploiting children and women.

“Because we are talking about peace, and peace is a very important element to all of us… we have witnessed for the last two years, there are no massive mobilizations and attacks like it used to be. This significant improvement came as a result of continued engagement with youth, leaders, chiefs, and women,” Gola said.

The Chief Administrator also highlighted the role of government and customary law in tackling child abduction, noting that a new law is in the process of being enacted. Under the proposed law, perpetrators of child abduction or trafficking face up to three years in prison and a fine of 40,000 South Sudanese pounds, with the same penalties applied to those buying or trading abducted children.

“Our commissioners and paramount chiefs, you are the ones in charge of operations. You must cooperate with us and the state government and all police agencies to stop these criminals. We need to criminalize practices that were once culturally accepted and make it clear that abduction is a serious offense,” Gola said.

He also stressed the importance of addressing root causes of crime, including food security and economic opportunity, warning that youths often turn to crime when families and communities cannot sustain livelihoods.

“This is our collective responsibility: we must ensure that law enforcement, community engagement, and development efforts work together. Only then can we prevent children from being abducted and ensure that criminals are held accountable,” Gola added.

The conference, attended by development partners, government officials, paramount chiefs, and women representatives, provided a platform to discuss peacebuilding, communal responsibility, and strategies for implementing the new law and supporting affected families.