Officials in South Sudan’s Warrap state and the contested Abyei Administrative Area say six people were killed and 11 others wounded in separate clashes between armed youth from the two neighboring areas.
The armed youth clashed on Friday and Sunday.
Kelek Kon, Abyei Area’s security advisor told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday that armed youth from Twic county attacked two Abyei villages on Sunday.
“The youth from Twic attacked Aneet and Agok on 25th September. They attacked these villages from five directions that is Ajak-Toch, Yaljook, MSF, Mabuny North, Mabuny South, and the direction of stores. They (Twic armed youth) killed two in Aneet fighting and one person was killed too at his house and 11 people were wounded and they were taken to Abyei for treatment,” he said.
“Abyei youth don’t attack places in Twic County instead they were always attacked by armed youth from Twic county in Warrap state,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, Mangok Kom, Twic County acting commissioner confirmed the clashes on Sunday but declined to provide details of that fighting.
But, Kom said three youth were killed in clashes last Friday. He blamed the Abyei youth for attacking an army military base in Majak-Kol, Twic county of Warrap state, leading to the clashes.
“What happened was that armed youth from Abyei combined with armed youth from Mayom county in Unity state and attacked SSPDF military base at Majak-Kol last Friday and they repulsed back by SSPDF,” he explained.
“Part of Majak-Kol is a business center, so the armed youth whose goods were looted reorganized themselves and attacked our forces. So, in Majak-Kol’s clashes, three youth were killed; one from Abyei and two from Mayom county, and nobody was killed from the army,” he added.
The United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) condemned the renewed attacks and called on authorities of the two areas to step up efforts to diffuse tensions and find a political solution to the clashes.