Speaking to Sudans Post this week, Kuol Choul, the State Minister of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, said the abductions were largely carried out by armed criminal groups over the years. He noted that only a few of the victims have so far been rescued and reunited with their families.
“We have registered 591 abducted children and women from 2014 to 2025 across Jonglei State and GPAA. Last week alone, we successfully reunified 12 children with their families — including three from Jonglei and nine from GPAA,” Minister Kuol said.
He explained that ongoing insecurity, poor road infrastructure, and limited communication services have significantly hampered the ministry’s efforts to trace and reunite abducted persons with their relatives.
“Some counties are hard to reach due to insecurity and bad roads. Our staff are mostly volunteers, and we face serious financial challenges to support these reunification efforts,” Kuol added.
According to officials, abductions in Jonglei and GPAA often occur during intercommunal attacks and cattle raids, where women and children are forcibly taken and sold or kept as hostages. Despite repeated government interventions and peace dialogues, the practice remains a serious threat to peace and social cohesion in the region.
Elijah Mayen, the State Director at the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, described the abductions as a long-standing humanitarian crisis that continues to traumatise families and destabilise communities.
“The cases of child and women abduction have been ongoing for years, but the government is working hard to register and return the victims to their biological families. We urge those involved in abductions to stop such criminal acts immediately,” Mayen said.
He added that data collection and verification are still underway across several counties, as many abductees remain unaccounted for.
Sudans Post was unable to independently reach humanitarian partners or civil society representatives in Jonglei and GPAA for comments.
