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Kampala - A suspected South Sudan rebel group has reportedly demanded a ransom for the safe return of 41 Ugandans who were kidnapped in the east African country early this year.
According to Daily Monitor, the group was believed to be loyal to former vice president Riek Machar.
The victims were taken from buses bound for the capital Kampala and along border districts. Twenty-three were abducted in May and a further eight taken the following month in July.
Ugandan Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura confirmed that South Sudan police were now seeking help from their Ugandan counterparts to help link them to the relatives of the abductees.
Two task teams had also been set up specifically to track down the victims and also to ensure the future safety of commuters travelling along highways close to the border.
Meanwhile, reports last week quoted the United Nations as saying that some people fleeing South Sudan were being forced to pay bribes at checkpoints by South Sudan's government and armed groups.
The UN also said it had received reports of physical and sexual assaults and forced family separations.
More than 100 000 South Sudanese have fled to Uganda after deadly fighting rocked the capital, Juba, in July.
