The authorities in the disputed Abyei Administrative Area have said one person was killed and three others injured over the weekend when two pickup vehicles they were traveling in from Abyei to Amiet were separately ambushed by suspected armed Messiriya tribesmen.
Ajak Deng Miyen, the administrative area’s spokesperson told Radio Tamazuj Monday that the incident was unfortunate and that the injured were taken to UNISFA health facility.
“What happened was that two pickup vehicles were going to Amiet market from Abyei and they fell in an ambush half a kilometer to Amiet market because suspected armed Messiriya shot at the first car and one person was injured but the car managed to reached market and the wounded person was rushed to Adaz UNISFA level 1 clinic,” he said. “The second car was also shot and one person was killed on spot and two people were wounded including a woman.”
The minister blamed UNISFA for doing little to protect civilians.
“This is a problem. We have been urging UNISFA and we are calling on them to stop these killings on the road,” he said. “This is the same place where the Indian Battalion (UNISFA) is deployed so it has been unfortunate and we are calling on them to live up to their mandate. Up to now, they have not done anything in terms of curbing insecurity.”
Abyei’s paramount chief, Bulabek Deng Kuol, confirmed the incident and also blamed UNISFA for the recurrent attacks on the roads.
“On the Abyei-Amiet road, two cars were attacked and one person was shot and rushed to hospital and another car was shot and one person died and others were wounded,” he confirmed. “What surprises us is that we have been conducting meetings twice a week and discussing these issues and we share information with UNISFA and after all these efforts, such incidents still happen.”
Paramount chief Bulabek said UNISFA has deployed the Pakistani Battalion in the area stretching from Amiet to Kech village and the Indian Battalion from Abyei to Amiet and wondered why they could not contain insecurity.