The minister of information for the Abyei Administrative Area has confirmed that four people were killed and six others wounded during an attack on the Anet area of Rumamer County on Thursday evening.
Ajak Deng Miyen told Radio Tamazuj that one person was arrested by security forces in connection with the attack.
“The confusion happened when armed youth who are believed to belong to the Ajak Kuec Payam of Twic County fired guns at people in the Anet market and then ran away. People ran after them and four were killed including two students. Six were injured and are being treated at Anet. One suspect has been arrested,” he added.
Deng claimed that the attackers, alleged to be from Twic County of Warrap State, came driving on a vehicle.
He pointed out that the situation is calm after the United Nations forces there took control of the Anet market.
“The situation is relatively calm. Last night UNISFA forces took over the control of the market for others not to loot goods and today the situation is normal,” the minister said.
For his part, Deng Tong Gosh, Twic County Commissioner said that according to the information he received, Abyei youth perpetrated by the attack.
“I am in Juba but what I heard from the area is that three young men were beaten badly on Thursday in Anet market and when their relatives visited them, Abyei youth fired randomly at them saying they don’t want people who are not from Abyei,” he said.
He adds, “There is no clear information about the dead some say six and others talked of four and even this morning there is an unidentified dead body at the MSF hospital. But the SSPDF has contained the situation.
Commissioner Tong called on the authorities and people of Abyei to remain calm as the security forces in both areas investigate the attack.
Meanwhile, a training for local journalists sponsored by the Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) in collaboration with Abyei FM, which started on Wednesday, came to an abrupt halt following the attack.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, the head of Abyei FM, Karbino Aguek Dut, said the training was tackling professional journalistic ethics, trauma healing, and gender-based violence among other topics.