A one-year-old boy was abducted Sunday by a group of armed men in the Werkok area, 25 kilometers north of the Jonglei State capital, Bor, authorities have said.

Bishop James Deng of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan's Makuac Diocese told Radio Tamazuj that the boy identified as Thon Makuac Deng was abducted when armed men attacked a group of women who were harvesting crops at a farm in Werkok village.

“Those criminals attacked the women while at a farm around the homestead. They beat up one woman and took that child. No one was killed during the incident. But a 40-year-old man called Mayath is missing till now after the incident,” Bishop Deng explained.

The clergyman also pointed out that the area has been calm despite the incident.

The state police commissioner, Joseph Mayen Akoon, confirmed the incident but noted that no arrests had been made.

For his part, Jacob Achiek Jok, the chairperson for the group National Civil Alliance condemned the attack, calling on the government to arrest the perpetrators.

The activist warned that such repeated incidents could worsen the already deteriorated humanitarian crises in Jonglei.

“Attacking people in their fields at a time when people are being displaced by the floods and food is lacking is very unfortunate. We thought such dry places could be safe so that civilians don’t flee again,” he stressed.

Achiek pleaded with the government to provide security and protection to the people of Jonglei.