By James Chatim

The recent abduction of aid workers and a paramount chief in Yei River County is not just an act of lawlessness—it is a direct attack on the very people who have committed their lives to healing, rebuilding, and serving our communities.

Authorities have confirmed that the armed group responsible for the abductions demanded a ransom of over 16,000 US dollars for the release of the two humanitarian workers in captivity. These individuals, working for the Organization for Nonviolence and Development (ONAD), were on their way to facilitate a peace dialogue when they were ambushed on the Yei-Maridi road. The paramount chief, Joseph Brown Lomosee, a local government official, and a driver were released after several days, but the aid workers remain in the hands of their captors.

County Commissioner Emmanuel Taban Seme condemned the abductions and made it clear that the government has no mandate to pay ransom. More importantly, he called on all armed groups to cease targeting humanitarian workers, emphasizing that such acts not only violate human dignity but also endanger the fragile peace and ongoing development efforts.

“These aid workers are here for the benefit of our people,” said Commissioner Seme. “Attacking them is attacking the communities they serve. We must protect them.”

Paramount Chief Brown, though safely returned, shared a sobering account of his captivity—being moved between unknown locations, physically unharmed but emotionally drained. His words are a reminder that these are not just statistics or headlines. These are real people, doing real work, now caught in a cycle of senseless violence.

Civil society leaders have echoed the need for urgent action. Modi Archangelo, Chairperson of the Civil Society Network in Yei, condemned the attack and called for the safety of all peace and aid workers to be guaranteed.

But the truth is, these attackers are not outsiders. They are from among us. They move through our villages, our roads, our forests. They do not wear uniforms, but they bear arms. And the cost of silence is too high.

Every community must now rise to the task of protecting its own. Let every village, every Payam, every Boma take responsibility for identifying and calling out those who threaten peace. Lawlessness will not hasten the peace process—it will derail it. Violence will not bring change—it will destroy hope.

We are in a delicate season, where every act of insecurity threatens not only the lives of the innocent but also the future of our children. It is time for tighter security coordination between authorities and local communities. Community-led surveillance, built on trust, information-sharing, and accountability, must become a national priority.

Let us not wait for another abduction, another death, another aid worker to fall into harm’s way. Let us act now. Peace cannot be imposed from above—it must be defended from within. It begins with each one of us.