Unspecified numbers of passengers are missing after their vehicle was hijacked by armed men along the Juba-Bor highway on Sunday, authorities have said.

Authorities in Jonglei State Capital, Bor, said yesterday, the passengers were travelling from Juba to Bor.

Bor Municipal Council Mayor John Matiop Achiek, said security threats and attacks have recently been reported around Bor town and along the roads connecting the town to neighboring areas.

Mayor Achiek said his office and security agents were investigating the Juba-Bor road incident.

“We have a threat now in Bor town. Like now, for us here, we are doing road construction, and there are trucks that go to the side of Marang, and they find a lot of our brothers from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area—they are very many in the bush,” Achiek said.

Mayor Achiek says the Juba-Bor road is a vital economic lifeline to residents of Jonglei State, and should therefore be devoid of threats from armed groups.

“On behalf of Bor Municipal Council and on behalf of people in town, I am calling on those people to allow our citizens to move freely,” Achiek added.

Jonglei State Police Commissioner, Major General Elia Kosta Faustino, said investigations are ongoing and raised concerns about the latest space of attacks on around Bor town.

“There is rumor that there are some people moving around Bor town here and we are following them. We heard it yesterday that is was on the side of Mangala. We don’t know what happened there but they said that some people stopped the car there. People must be careful; we cannot stop people from moving but let them be careful. Let them call police for rescue in case of anything,” General Kosta told South Sudanese local press.

General Kosta said the security personnel are committed to protecting the lives and properties of the people, and to ensure the rule of law is upheld.

However, he appealed to the national government to allocate more resources and personnel to the police department in Jonglei.

The Juba-Bor highway connects the South Sudanese capital Juba with Bor and other counties in Jonglei. The road has been the scene of several violent ambushes in the past, resulting in the deaths of dozens of travelers.