Local authorities in Abyei today confirmed that a commercial vehicle was ambushed by suspected armed Misseriya tribesmen between Amiet market and Abyei town on Friday last week and two people were injured.
The Ameth-Aguok County commissioner, Nyok Deng Rou, said a Toyota pickup carrying goods from Amiet to Abyei town was ambushed and two people were injured.
“The armed Misseriya youth ambushed a car between Amiet and Abyei town and injured two persons who were in the vehicle,” he said. “They had very slight injuries, the bullets just inflicted flesh wounds without tempering with bones.”
He said UNISFA troops pursued the assailants but did not find them but the situation was calm and the Amiet market was operating normally.
Abyei Information Minister Ajak Deng Mawein confirmed the incident and said one of the injured was the driver.
“There was a little commercial car which came from Amiet market to Abyei town and in the middle, it was ambushed armed Mesairiya and they injured the driver and a passenger,” he explained. “These two (injured) are now in Abyei hospital and we have condemned this on our Facebook page. This happened two days ago.”
Recent attacks in the contested Abyei region left more than 40 civilians, including women and children, dead and were blamed on suspected Misseriya tribesmen.