Authorities in the Abyei Administrative Area have said unknown arsonists set Abyei’s main market on fire in the wee hours of Monday morning and that no suspects had been apprehended.
Ajak Deng Miyen, the information minister of the Abyei Administrative Area told Radio Tamazuj Monday that a section of the main market burnt down after unknown people set it on fire.
“Up to now, it is not known who and why they set the market on fire because the fire erupted around 2 am (Monday) and it destroyed much of the Market,’’ Minister Deng said. “People are investigating and no suspect has been arrested.”
He added, “The fire is said to have erupted in one of the restaurants. There is a government team which is assessing the damage and I have not received the assessment of losses.”
Several local sources speculated and blamed members of the Twic community of Warrap State whom they allege went to Abyei and burned down the Anet Market on Saturday.
“The Twic people who are living in Abyei are the ones who set the market on fire. The same mobs that burnt down the Anet market are part of those who caused the fire tragedy in Abyei,” A man who identified himself only as Lual charged. “These people live with us in Abyei and we consider them as innocent people and we do not have any problem with them but they did something bad against us.”
A humanitarian worker who spoke on condition of anonymity said the fire started at 1:30 am and that all the shops in the market were destroyed.
“I saw the fire at 1:30 am when it started in the Abyei market and after some minutes I heard gunshots and the market burned continuously until morning. I went and witnessed the damage around 6 am.”