According to an authority, the road where the alleged kidnapping occurred falls under the jurisdiction of Kenya, Eastern and Central Equatoria states, thus has “no connection whatsoever” to GPAA.

By Riak Chol

The Government of Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) has strongly denied allegations that its citizens were involved in the kidnapping of three children along the Kakuma–Juba road, terming the claims as “misplaced and irresponsible.”

The allegations were made by the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), which accused people from Greater Pibor of abducting the children on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

The allegation mentioned three-year old Doctor Gatmai Diu, Bagui Gatmai Diu, a seven-year-old girl and Koang  Riek Koang (7, boy). Doctor and Baguoi are siblings from Bentiu, Unity State, while Koang is from Jonglei State.

However, in a press statement released on Wednesday, the GPAA Minister of Information, Jacob Werchum Juok denied the accusations, saying they are baseless and lacked credible evidence.

“We strongly reject this accusation and kindly request that Manyang Gatwech withdraw this misplaced accusation,” Werchum said in the statement.

According to the state minister, the road where the alleged kidnapping occurred falls under the jurisdiction of Kenya, Eastern and Central Equatoria states, and therefore has “no connection whatsoever” to GPAA.

The statement further noted that the route from Kakuma to Juba passes through a range of towns and villages in both Kenya and South Sudan, making the accusation against GPAA unjustifiable.

GPAA government warned that making such allegations without evidence could fuel divisions among communities in the region.

“Uttering unrealistic words without proper justification could amount to propaganda and hate speech, and destabilise peaceful coexistence among communities in the region,” Werchum said.

“It is important to approach sensitive matters with diligence and care, making sure we do not jump to conclusions without sufficient proof,” he added.

The GPAA government urged the media and the public to refrain from spreading “unreliable information that may harm innocent individuals and cause destabilization in our community.”

The statement comes amid rising concerns over insecurity along regional highways, where incidents of abductions and roadside attacks have frequently been reported.