By Deng Athian
Authorities and community leaders in Aweil East County have intervened to rescue 300 children following an attempt to illegally transport them to Juba under a suspicious scholarship program.
The acting paramount chief of Madhol Payam, Sultan Yor Lual Malong Yor, reported that the children—aged between 5 and 12 years—were mobilised from various villages without the knowledge or consent of local authorities or, in some cases, their parents.
Sultan Yor identified the individuals behind the mobilisation as Akol Dut Agor and a man identified as Wieu, who claimed to be a pastor.
“These individuals entered the villages of Madhol Payam to mobilise children. They were registered by Akol Dut Agor to be taken to Juba for scholarships under the responsibility of Prophet Peter AD,” the Sultan explained.
According to the Sultan, five buses were brought into the area and loaded with children. Some were reportedly moved as far as Goknhom before the intervention took place.
He further alleged that the recruitment methods bypassed all traditional and legal safeguards.
“The chiefs and elders of the Payam and county were never involved. Some children were even picked up from markets without parental consent. This is abduction, and it must stop immediately,” Sultan Yor stated.
The children were successfully rescued through the joint efforts of community members and local authorities and have since been reunited with their families.
Sultan Yor noted that the parents expressed deep gratitude for their children’s safe return.
The Director of Education in Aweil East County, Ahou Garang Cirin, condemned the incident, labeling it an illegal operation that lacked any official departmental approval.
“Any scholarship program for children is required to be made public and must be approved by the Ministry of Education and relevant government institutions. This act was illegal and took us by surprise,” Cirin said.
Cirin revealed that the group had previously approached his office seeking approval for only three children. The request was rejected due to a lack of proper documentation and procedure.
“After we rejected their initial request, they went directly to the villages and collected approximately 300 children,” he added.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. Education officials noted that years ago, over 500 children were reportedly taken from Aweil to Juba under a similar arrangement linked to Stone International, a church led by Prophet Peter AD.
Sultan Yor concluded with a stern warning to both parents and organisers.
“My message to parents and the government is to remain vigilant at all times. To the state’s intellectuals: involve the concerned authorities in your initiatives instead of working independently and illegally.”
Efforts to reach Stone International Church in Juba for comment were unsuccessful. Authorities in Northern Bahr el Ghazal (NBG) have confirmed that investigations into the matter are ongoing.