The Abyei community of Western Bahr el Ghazal state on Wednesday called on the national government to immediately form a fact-finding committee to investigate the ongoing conflict in the contested areas.
The call comes less than a week following clashes that led to the death of four people and the burning of several villages, and the Abyei, Agok, and Jol Jok markets in an attack allegedly carried out by armed youth from neighboring Twic County of Warrap State.
In a press statement released in Wau today, the Abyei community condemned the attacks and called on the national government to intervene and bring the perpetrators to book.
“The attacks were launched by some groups of Ajak Kuac sons who belong to Twic County of Warrap State. In the meantime, we had to repulse back the attackers from Misseryia Arab tribe and its militia in the northeast and northwest yet we were hit at the back from the nearest relatives,” Abyei chairperson in Wau Alor Deng Koor said in the statement. “In this regard, we condemn in the strongest term possible, the attack. We ask our Lord to rest the souls of our martyrs in peace and also heal our wounds urgently.”
The community also calls for the formation of a committee to investigate the attacks and bring to book those found guilty.
“We urge the central government to urgently intervene and form a fact-finding committee and apprehend the criminals and bring them to book while we are following the situation in the area,” he said.
The Abyei community said the recent attacks followed letters from the was agitated by the letters exchanged between the commissioner of Ajak Kuac and the chief and Administration of Abyei over the survey of Aniet town which they said is inside the Abyei area.
“Two letters were sent and they showed the intent of conflict. A letter was sent by the Twic County commissioner dated 14 December 2021 to the chief administrator of the Abyei Administration plus the letter from the Ajak Kuac community in Juba dated 27 January 2022. In their letters, they rejected survey of Anet town claiming it as their territory,” Deng said.
The Abyei community chairperson added that the chief of Abyei Area Administrator replied in a letter dated 31st January 2022 confirming that the Aniet area belonged to the people of Abyei since its creation.
He called for peace talks with all sides to resolve the clashes.
For his part, an activist in Abyei Administrative Area Mr. Rou Manyiel Rou said the humanitarian situation is has worsened as humanitarian organizations pull out of the area.
“We are in a humanitarian crisis, people have been displaced from Anet, Agok and surrounding areas from south of the river and thousands of people are staying outside under the trees, people are without shelters, food, and medicines,” Manyiel said.
He adds, “MSF has pulled out all its staff and is closed in Agok and all the NGOs which were operating in Agok have closed including the Save the Children and Smarten, they have moved their assets to Abyei and they relocated their staff to Juba.”
Manyiel called on the Twic community and the authorities in Warrap state to cease hostilities.