AWEIL – Authorities in the contested Abyei Administrative Area announced on Friday that 65 prisoners who recently escaped from Abyei prisons have been recaptured.
On 18 October, inmates escaped from a central prison in the disputed Abyei region during a violent protest, resulting in the destruction of doors, windows, and parts of the prison wall.
The incident took place around 6:30 p.m. local time on that date.
Yuhana Akol Ngor, the information minister in Abyei, told Sudans Post on Friday that the escapees were captured on Friday in Abyei.
“The prisoners escaped without the knowledge of the wardens, and the incident caught them off guard. And that made us get surprised at the news. Now all of them have been retrieved or brought back to the cells with the exception of one,’ Akol said.
Akol reported that they have recaptured 56 individuals, with the exception of one who remains at large.
“Only one was injured in the leg as the barbed wire harmed his leg, and that is why it is necessary to stay indoors and wait for the period of your conviction, as you may end up being killed, as wardens might shoot you immediately as you run.”
Akol stated that they are working to ensure the steel doors are repaired to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
“We are going to ensure that the strong steel doors are fixed so that such incidents don’t unfold again. This is something that the prison director will do in the course of the month,” he said.
He disclosed that they are investigating the circumstances that contributed to the large-scale escape of the inmates.
This trend indicates inadequate infrastructure in many areas of the region, with many prisoners reporting infections while incarcerated due to overcrowded conditions in the cells.
Authorities are reaching out to partners, including United Nations agencies involved in rule of law and civil affairs, to assist in the establishment of additional facilities for inmates to alleviate overcrowding.
Last week, 16 Aweil youth were reported to have been incarcerated in Abyei, leaving the Aweil community association chairperson based in Abyei to appeal for their release, especially those whose offenses are minor.
