The Abyei Civil Society Organization (ACSO) and local chiefs from the Abyei Special Administration Area over the weekend demanded the immediate removal of the South Sudan People Defense Force (SSPDF) troops deployed in Agok and Annet.
The protestors claimed that the soldiers were not national in character but drawn from Warrap State’s Twic County.
Armed youth from Abyei and Warrap State’s Twic County have been warring for the last two years over ownership of areas along their common border.
Miyen Ayuong Ajuong, the information secretary of ACSO, said the joint demonstration aimed to show the international community that the Ngok Dinka of Abyei are discontented with the presence of SSPDF in the Agok and Aneet areas. He referred to the deployment of the army in Abei as a breach of the agreement signed in Hague which stipulates that Abyei be demilitarized and that both Sudan and South Sudan keep soldiers out of the contested area which is under the United Nations Interim Security in Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
“Abyei Civil Society Organization and the chiefs over the weekend expressed their disappointment for what happened to them since the deployment of SSPDF in Agok and Aneet areas because what we know is that Abyei Box is under UNISFA,” he said.
According to Ayuong, the people of Abyei doubt the SSPDF deployed in Agok and Aneet and believe they are militias wearing the uniform of the national army.
“ACSO, chiefs and school children of Abyei do not consider the deployed forces as SSPDF, they are just in national military uniform but these elements in uniforms sit in individuals’’ houses, hospitals, schools and the government guest house and they sell grass and killed people,” he stated. On 7 April, they attempted to kill the area minister of local government and a commissioner in Agok and this practice has never been done by the national army.”
Meanwhile, Bulabek Deng Kuol, the Paramount Chief of the Ngok Dinka in Abyei, urged the SSPDF military leaders to respect people’s demands and vacate Abyei.
“The opinions of the chiefs are in line with peoples’ demand because the people of Abyei need stability and for the area to remain a buffer zone between the armies of Sudan and South Sudan under UNISFA,” he clarified. “The real SSPDF do not kill but protect people. Those that killed a person and raided goats from Mach-buong and Gakyuom villages involved armed youth deployed in SSPDF uniform and some of them were armed youth from Twic County who have conflict with the Ngok Dinka people and are involved in these incidents of killing.”
On his part, Major General Lul Ruai, the SSPDF spokesperson, said they are aware of the demand for the SSPDF to leave Abyei and said the protestors addressed their petition to UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres and not to the Government of South Sudan.
“I will refer you to a government spokesperson to speak on that because the petition of ACSO forwarded to me was addressed to the United Nations Secretary-General,” he said. “So, it is beyond my mandate and you better talk to the government spokesperson or ministry of foreign affairs because they have that jurisdiction to make comments.”
“I saw the letter containing a lot of issues, including occupancy of public institutions and others,” Gen. Ruai added.