[BREAKING NEWS] – Kidnapped Yei Paramount Chief, Aid Workers Released

This is a developing story.

The Paramount Chief of Yei River County, Joseph Brown Lo-Mosa and two humanitarian workers have been released after nearly a week in captivity. Their abduction on 7 July 2025 had caused widespread concern that triggered community outrage and mounting pressure from local leaders, elders and residents across Central Equatoria State.

The three were kidnapped along the Yei–Maridi road while en route to Pisak to support a peace dialogue initiative. Armed men, believed to be affiliated with the rebel group National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Thomas Cirilo, ambushed the convoy about seven miles from Yei town. Since then, the chief and aid workers had been held in unknown conditions within the bush, prompting urgent calls for their release.

Local officials have not yet issued an official press statement confirming the details of their release. However, community members close to the matter say their freedom followed sustained grassroots mobilisation and growing public outcry over their continued detention.

Commissioner of Yei River County, Emmanuel Taban Seme, had earlier condemned the abduction, calling it a “horrific violation of human dignity” and a setback to efforts aimed at restoring peace in Central Equatoria. He called on all parties to abandon violence and embrace reconciliation.

Elderly citizens, cultural leaders and concerned youth groups had all voiced fears over the wellbeing of Chief Lo-Mosa, who is widely respected for his peace advocacy, wisdom and voluntary efforts to bridge divisions between communities and armed actors.

In a public statement issued by the Mugwo Community Stakeholders’ Forum (MCS’F), the abduction was described as an “inhumane and unacceptable act” that insulted the values and traditions of the Yei people.

The Forum praised the roles played by Chief Lo-Mosa and the two aid workers in promoting peace and reconciliation, warning that continued attacks on humanitarian personnel would undermine national peacebuilding.

The abducted aid workers, whose names have not been formally released, are both staff members of the Organisation for Nonviolence and Development (ONAD), a South Sudanese NGO involved in peacebuilding and civic engagement. One of them, identified as Noel Taban, had been released earlier to carry a message to authorities in Yei. It remains unclear if any ransom was paid.

A spiritual appeal had also been made by Hon. Malish Noel Scopas, a traditional leader, who invoked the protection of local ancestral spirits:

“May the Ngun Kata of Yei watch over you and bring you home safely.”

A concerned local elder, Juma David Augustine, a former politician, had warned that the crisis pointed to a deeper moral collapse in Yei.

“This situation speaks to a deep moral decline… even elders of high standing are not spared,” he said in an opinion published by Access Radio.

The release of the three has been welcomed cautiously by the community, which remains on edge due to ongoing insecurity in the region. Since April 2025, the Yei–Maridi and Yei–Morobo roads have seen a surge in ambushes targeting civilians, humanitarian staff and peace delegates.