Armed youth walk a village in South Sudan’s Pibor region. Photo: AFP

Armed bandits attacked and looted a humanitarian convoy while heading to hunger-stricken Likuangole at the weekend, authorities in Greater Pibor Administrative Area have said.

According the area Information Minister, unidentified armed men on Friday waylaid and attacked four tracks that were delivering food supply to a primary school in the hunger-stricken area.

The food was meant for a school feeding program aimed to encourage children to stay in school, and attract many others to enroll into learning.

But the bandits  confiscate the food including values such as telephones, clothes and money from the drivers and aid workers.

“This convoy started moving from Pibor headquarters to Likuangole, carrying food items for a school there. On the way they got robbed by unknown criminals and those people were able to take sorghum and cooking oil in the trucks and they escaped to the bushes, ” said  Oleyo Akwer Nalos.

The drivers and their accompaniments are unhurt. ” They were not injured but were looted. They (robbers) took their phones, clothes and money as well as the food meant for a school feeding program.”

According to Oleyo, the police in the area are working with the local chiefs to trace the culprits.

“The police went to the ground and met with the traditional chiefs, and the chiefs said those criminals escaped to the bushes but the procedures are still going on,” the official added.