Local authorities in the Ruweng Administrative Area and Unity State have confirmed that several suspects have been apprehended on suspicion of being involved in ambushing and looting a humanitarian convoy on 15 July in Abiemnohm County.

Mawien Majith Machar, the commissioner of Abiemnohm County in the Ruweng Administrative Area, said a total of 42 men and women were arrested by combined forces from Ruweng and Unity State at the scene and others in possession of sorghum but that the women were later released.

“I immediately communicated with the commissioner of Mayom County and his executive director and they confirmed that they were aware of this incident and had deployed security forces. And they arrived and joined other forces from (SSPDF) Division 3 of the Arial area,” Commissioner Majith explained. “Upon their arrival to the scene of the incident, they arrested on the first day, three men and 10 women. On the second day, they arrested more people and reached 32 men and 10 women. They released all the women after caning them and took the 32 men to the headquarters of Division 4 and detained them. This information was confirmed to me by the executive director who was accompanying the forces.”

Asked if all those arrested were genuine suspects or people simply helping themselves to free food, Majith said, “They might be among these 32 people. We cannot know now because they might have taken the phones and hid them somewhere. They even beat the drivers with thorns.”

He said the trucks and some of the humanitarian cargo on them are still parked at a place called Wun-Nyang and that some criminals attempted to loot the remaining items.

“I called the agencies yesterday (Wednesday) and told them that they should go and pick the trucks and bring them to Abiemnohm here so that we can save the remaining items. I heard that they broke everything in the trucks including the driver’s seats,” Majith said.

He added, “Last Saturday, I sent forces from here and they joined others in Arial and Awila, but upon their arrival to the scene, they were overpowered by the criminals. The forces decided to withdraw. There were women and children at the scene collecting sorghum and they decided not to use force to avoid victimizing civilians.”

Commissioner Majith said about 16 people including drivers who were in the trucks were first relocated to Abiemnohm and later taken to Urok. 

For his part, the information minister of Unity State, Gabriel Hon Makuei Bol, confirmed that suspects were arrested but he was not sure of the number. Hon said he would get more details regarding the incident today, Friday.