The family of South Sudanese journalist Clement Lochio, who was reported missing several weeks ago in Eastern Equatoria State, said they found two beheaded bodies along the Chukudum-Buya road on 28 August.

Angelo Gola, Clement’s uncle, told Radio Tamazuj that they could not recognise the two beheaded bodies because they had decayed and were partially consumed by vultures.

Nonetheless, he said that the family had already concluded that Clement Lochio was dead. “The funeral rites have already started in the village,” he said.

He said that the family members were also afraid and they did not open any police case. “We are fearing. The people fear that another problem may occur again.”

The journalist Clement Lochio is not the only person from Budi County to have gone missing recently, with unconfirmed reports of other killings.

Three other victims were arrested by security personnel in Chukudum area before being taken to Juba and then killed and thrown into the Nile between 23 and 28 August, according to a government official who can not be identified for security reasons.

It is feared that one of the victims was a South Sudanese-Canadian who was picked up with two others at his home in a village in Budi County, according to the same source. A relative in Canada said that they last heard from the victim via the messaging service WhatsApp from Juba on 6 August.

Speaking on Sunday, the legislator in Juba commented, “There have been a lot of security concerns over the past few days as the whole of last week has been one of the darkest weeks for Budi County, particularly the Didinga people.”

He said that security personnel and military intelligence in Budi County have been targeting innocent youths after the state governor Louis Lobong claimed that youths in the area were not cooperating with his administration and were sympathetic to the rebellion.

He blamed the governor for inciting violence against young intellectuals in the area. The legislator further claimed that he has information from members of the security services confessing that they were ordered to kill the youths and then throw their bodies into the Nile River.

The lawmaker said investigations were continuing, including efforts to determine the motive for the killings.