At least 5 Motorbike cyclists abducted in Yei

Local leaders in Yei River County say gunmen abducted at least five motorcycle taxi operators commonly known as boda-boda along the Yei ̶ Ombaci road earlier this week. 

The Boda-Boda drivers were taking their passengers to a market in Ombaci village when gunmen attacked them. They were abducted in Otogo Payam’s Morsak boma Tuesday morning, according to Kenyi Elisa, a traditional chief in Yei.

The abductors burned the motorbikes to ashes and later released the passengers, all of whom were women. 

“It has scared the movement of people because people are now scared to travel and access the rural markets like Ombaci market, Mitika market, and Gijani market,” Elisa says.

“When things are happening like this, people fear to go to these markets, and again it affects the economy. Currently, in Yei town, there’s a high increase in the prices of commodities; that’s related to these issues,” he added.

Yei residents were beginning to enjoy relative peace but such acts jeopardize everything, Elisa says.

No group has claimed responsibility for the abductions. Eliza is calling on militias and rebel groups to observe the Rome declaration and the 2018 peace agreement so that the people of Yei can live in peace. 

“When things are happening like this, we the citizens are the ones suffering because we don’t have anything to protect ourselves with.”

“The revitalized agreement on the resolution of conflict in South Sudan is a vital tool that is helping us realize peace in South Sudan, but when these things are happening we the community leaders are very stranded. We don’t know what to do,” he said.

The Yei River County commissioner says the government is deploying the South Sudan Peoples Defense Forces (SSPDF) to patrol roads to safeguard travelers.

Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa says they are working ‘round the clock to boost security along the roads in Yei. 

“Our efforts are to intensify patrol and increase the presence of the SSPDF along the roads and in the town such that we prevent such activities to happen. I am sure that from today (Wednesday) we’re intensifying efforts to prevent them not to cause any harm on civilians.” Commissioner Kanyikwa said.

Tracking down insurgents is not easy because they do not have a specific base, Kanyikwa reveals.

 “Insurgents like the National Salvation Front – NAS, who don’t have bases (and) are just mobile forces that move across at any time.  they Mostly move in the mornings, evenings, and at night, and they’ve their bases along the Congo border. It’s very difficult. Of course, one of their targets is to stop citizens to access markets and to access humanitarian services,” Kanyikwa disclosed.

Last week unknown gunmen burned humanitarian vehicles that were in a convoy belonging to Doctors Without Borders. An unknown number of civilians were abducted.  Commissioner Kanyikwa says the abductors later released some of the civilians. 

The National Salvation Front (NAS) has not issued any press statements to claim or deny responsibility for a recent wave of civilian kidnappings that have occurred in and around Yei. 

Cover Photo: SSPDF rounding criminals in Eastern Equatoria State led by overor Luis Lobong Lajore. 2021 curtesy photo.