The Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) authorities in Warrap State on Tuesday said they received 10 households (60 individuals) over the weekend from the Aneet area which is contested by the community in Warrap State’s Twic County and the Ngok Dinka of Abyei.
Benjamin Anyar, the acting chairperson of the RRC in Warrap State told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday that they managed to give the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) 13 bags of sorghum as emergency food.
“These people are not returnees but IDPs as they were escorted to the RRC in Warrap by the SSPDF because they were displaced during the Abyei-Twic conflict. When night killings increased, they ran to the military barracks,” he explained. “On Monday, the government distributed some food to them and the next plan is to take them somewhere within the town and arrange their integration with their families in Gogrial town, Akon, and Gogrial East County.”
The IDPs said they are happy that the government quickly intervened by giving them food but asked for nonfood items like tarpaulins for shelter and tools for agriculture.
Ajok Akoon, a 33-year-old woman, said fled because their security situation worsened.
“I came from Juol-Jook village due to the Abyei-Twic conflict. People were being slaughtered and killed at night and some were being drowned in the river so we ran to military barracks and they brought us to the RRC compound in Kuajok on Saturday,” she narrated. “Now we are living under the tree and have spent three days here and the rain has been beating us. On Tuesday, the government gave us ten sacks of sorghum.”
“We are now waiting for the government to take us to Mayom Totin Payam in Gogrial West County but we do not have plastic sheets for shelter and other farming materials,” Akoon added.
Another IDP, Wai Lual, said the clashes between the armed youth from Twic County and Abyei have escalated even after several meetings to mitigate the crisis.
“I came from Aneet on Saturday due to the Twic-Abyei fighting which has failed to stop. Every day many killings is why we come here,” he said. “The Warrap government came together with the people of Warrap FM Radio on Monday and today (Tuesday) they have us sorghum. Now we are waiting to go to Mayom Totin and some of the people will go to Akon.”
Meanwhile, Kuol Ayom, the acting commissioner of Rumamer in Abyei, confirmed the departure of the IDPs but said that the security situation in his area was relatively calm.
“The security situation in Rumamer is slightly calm but there has been an increase in killings by unknown gunmen who attack people along the roads and cases of theft of cattle and goats are also rampant,” he said. “In the last few days, civilians have been returning to Warrap State and about 36 individuals were escorted by the army because they said they were afraid of criminal activities in the area. Another group of people is now in military barracks in Agok waiting to be taken to Warrap State.”
“The IDPs fear their lives because they were depending on fish and wild meat in the forests but criminals now inhabit these places,” Commissioner Ayom added.
In related news, Warrap State RRC Acting Chairperson Anya said his office has recorded over 500 returnees from Sudan and 10 households of refugees from Sudan in different locations.
“We also recorded returnees as a result of the conflict in Sudan and in the area Pan-Nyok we 152 individuals, Akoc has 372 returnees and 10 households of returnees who were airlifted from Renk to Warrap State via Wau airport,” he said. “We also found 10 households of refugees from Sudan in both Akoc and Pan-Nyok areas in Twic County when we were doing assessments with partners.”