A leading figure from the Misseriya tribe in Muglad complained against the fees imposed by the Abyei authorities on cattle and the use of water sources, amid warning of deterioration of the security situation in the region.

The fees would affect sections of the Misseriya tribe that use grazing lands in Abyei seasonally. Similar taxation schemes have been imposed by Southern authorities elsewhere in the border region, such as in Unity and Northern Bahr El Ghazal states.

Mohammed Amar Al Ansari, a leading figure in the tribe, told Radio Tamazuj from Muglad that there were complaints among a large number of Misseriya tribesmen against the decision of the administrative authorities to impose a fee on the cattle and use of water sources in the region.

Al Ansari stated that the administration, formed by South Sudan, has grown used to putting pressure on herders and tribesmen of the Misseriya tribe in Abyei. He stated that there was no excuse for the fees imposed on cows and expressed his regret over the continuous attack on Misseriya tribesmen by people of the Dinka Ngok. He claimed that the fees amount to five pounds per head of cattle, plus fees for the use of water resources.

He added that the Misseriya have no involvement in what is happening between Sudan and South Sudan in Addis Ababa regarding the issue of Abyei, stating that if the Dinka Ngok want peace, they should sit down with the Misseriya tribe, describing the two sides as the real stakeholders and not the governments of the two countries. He also warned of deterioration in the security situation if the condition continues as it is.

Radio Tamazuj was not able to reach officials in the Abyei Administration for comment on the news.

According to the UN Interim Security Assistance Force for Abyei, under Ethiopian command, the security situation in Abyei is calm and stable.