EASTERN EQUATORIA - In April 2024, armed criminals from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area carried out brutal attacks on villages in Kauto, Kapoeta East, killing 32 people, injuring 22 others, and abducting 35 children.

In the aftermath, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), State authorities and other partners immediately began intensive advocacy to secure the safe release and return of the children.

Today, those efforts proved to be successful as 11 of the children were handed over with the support of UNMISS and Eastern Equatorian State authorities and airlifted from Pibor town back home to Kapoeta.

“The handover of the children demonstrates a steadfast commitment to addressing the grave issue of child abduction while actively advancing reconciliation between communities in Eastern Equatoria and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area,” said the Governor of Eastern Equatoria, Louis Lobong Lojore, as he welcomed the children home.

The Chief Administrator of the GPAA, Gola Boyoi Gola, also confirmed efforts to rescue the remaining children are continuing.

“These successful operations are vital for promoting peace in the region,” he said.

Throughout the recovery process, UNICEF and other humanitarian partners in Pibor, including Caritas South Sudan and Grass Root Empowerment and Development Organization (GREDO), played a crucial role in ensuring the safety and well-being of the abductees, providing protection, conducting family tracing, and facilitating potential reunifications.

"We understand that the government and peace partners are working to resolve this situation. We appreciate their efforts, but the parents are desperate to reunite with their young ones. We urge them to expedite whatever process they can to alleviate the trauma being suffered by these families,” said Jennifer Nabongorika, Minister of Gender and Social Welfare in Eastern Equatoria.

After the violent attack in Kauto, authorities from both administrations explored options to promote opportunities for dialogue and implement new policies to prevent similar atrocities.

This follows the collective endorsement of resolutions by various communities in Eastern Equatoria State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area in 2022 to impose and enforce punitive measures against perpetrators of child abduction and cattle-related conflicts, underscoring their commitment to fostering peaceful coexistence.