Authorities in Aweil, Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State are investigating circumstances that led to the death of six people who had gone to collect Gum Arabic in nearby bushes.

The six include three adult women and three girls.

William Kolong Pioth who is the coordinator of the peace and reconciliation commission for Northern Barh El Ghazal says on the 4^th of April, the six went to collect Gum Arabic near the Sudanese border but never returned.

Their bodies were later recovered by a team of SSPDF and the joint border peace committees on Monday this week.

“We are still looking into it, and we will make sure the criminals who did this, the two joint border committees are working hand in hand to make sure that they are brought to book and for sure we will get them,” Piong said on Saturday.

“The families who lost their loved ones, our condolences with you, remain calm as you are always a community of peace.”

Piong says the cause of deaths remains unclear although some people have blamed the Misseriya border tribe of Sudan for their deaths.

“I don’t want anybody to take the law to his or her hands to revenge. We do not want revenge to happen. Both communities are working very hard to make sure the people who did this to our young girls are brought to book when we find them,” he added.