Authorities in the disputed area of Abyei said they will dispatch a technical team after three individuals were reportedly infected by poisonous fish in Awal village on Thursday.
Residents of villages near the Kiir River reported that a rare disease that affected fish is behind the infection.
Mawien Mayot, the director of fisheries at Abyei Area’s Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that a family of three experienced diarrhoea and vomiting after consuming the poisonous fish.
“On Thursday, a local FM radio station in Abyei visited my office, and individuals from Awal village informed me that three people had consumed fish that turned out to be green instead of the usual white. As a result, they suffered from diarrhoea and vomiting, although fortunately, there were no fatalities,” Mayot explained.
He added, “Fish is typically classified as white meat, but in this case, the fish turned green during the cooking process. I will lead a technical team to the area on Monday to gather accurate information.”
Meanwhile, Bith Chan, the acting director-general at Abyei’s Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, verified the incident and confirmed that no deaths had been reported. He announced that a ministry team would visit the area on Monday to conduct a thorough investigation.
“I received a report from the director of fisheries regarding a problem in Awal village, where individuals were infected after consuming poisonous fish from a village near Agok town,” he said.
“According to the report, the fish changed colour to green and caused diarrhoea and vomiting among those who consumed it. Our team will investigate further next week, starting on Monday,” he added.