JUBA, South Sudan – South Sudan’s army has reunited two children abducted from residential areas in Juba with their parents after recovering them from Gumuruk town in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA), the army said on Friday.
SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said the children, Abi Gatwich Tuach, about two, and Simon Gattiek Tut Kai, five, were handed over to their respective families during a ceremony at the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) General Headquarters in Bilpam on October 29.
Lul said Abi was abducted on December 5, 2025, from Suk Darfur, while Simon was taken on June 13, 2026, from Suk Arnab, both residential areas in Juba.
He identified Juma Logocho, Ayella Dominic Onono and Angok Ayok as alleged traffickers, accusing them of taking the children before selling them to Mary Amei and Thomei Agany, respectively.
“The duo were at first trafficked by lead trafficker, Mr. Juma Logocho, Ayella Dominic Onono and Angok Ayok. They were then sold to Mary Amei and Thomei Agany respectively,” Lul said.
The children were subsequently taken to Gumuruk, where they were traced following the arrest and detention of the suspected traffickers, according to Lul.
He said information provided by the suspects helped investigators uncover the network, with support from the GPAA administration and the command of the Agrab Independent Brigade.
“The two children were successfully traced, recovered, brought to Juba and finally reunited with their loved ones,” Lul said.
The children’s parents expressed gratitude to the SSPDF’s Combat Intelligence Operations and Surveillance Unit and the GPAA administration for their role in the recovery.
Lul also appealed to the GPAA administration to intensify efforts to locate other suspects still at large who are allegedly holding abducted children.
The recovery comes amid wider concerns about child abductions and trafficking in South Sudan. On October 19, the National Civil Society Coalition called for sustained action against the practice, citing insecurity and weak law enforcement as factors contributing to its persistence across generations.
The GPAA administration has cautioned against collectively blaming its government or the Murle community for alleged trafficking activities.
Caretaker Information Minister Jacob Werchum Juok told Sudans Post that individuals suspected of involvement should be investigated and held accountable through the courts.
He also disputed descriptions of Gumuruk and Pibor as trafficking markets and said the administration had facilitated the return of 27 women and children to Jonglei, Eastern Equatoria and Central Equatoria states between June and August 2026.
The US State Department’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report identified weak law enforcement and limited judicial capacity as obstacles to combating human trafficking in South Sudan.
