A section of women in the Abyei Administrative Area over the weekend protested President Salva Kiir’s sacking of Kuol Deim Kuol, the former chief administrator, who was replaced by Chol Deng Alak.
The protests morphed into a demonstration in Abyei town on Friday with the women and their children marching around the town while denouncing the political changes. They claimed that the former area administrator was going to compensate the losses they incurred as a result of the Abyei-Twic conflict which has been running for close to a year.
One of the protestors, Nyibol Chol, told Radio Tamazuj Friday that she was not happy with President Kiir’s decision because their houses were burned and Kuol would have compensated them.
“Women are the victims of the conflict and are now suffering. Our houses were burned and properties destroyed that is why we want Kuol to stay with us for a while to finish this case,” she said. “As for Chol Alak, he is our son and was our chief administrator a few years ago so we are not demonstrating because we do not want chol.”
Another protestor, Nyadit Yak, said the changes came at the wrong time when they were mourning their loved ones killed in their houses.
“We got ourselves as women and children and are expressing our anger because we heard a new chief administrator appointed and the Abyei conflict with Twic is not finished. Kuol is supposed to have been given more time to solve this problem before the appointment of another administrator,” she said. “We are still mourning those killed on 2 January and the president surprised us with a new chief administrator. We will go to Aneet and receive Chol and bring him to Abyei because Chol is our blood and son but we were surprised by the changes.”
Meanwhile, Agol Bagat said the former chief administrator is a good man and that the Abyei-Twic conflict was instigated by youth.
“Kuol has no problem and he was just victimized and the youth instigated the Abyei-Twic problem,” she said.
On his part, Rou Manyiel, the Abyei Civil Society Organization chairperson, said the demonstration was a reflection of the feelings of a section of women and not all the women in Abyei.
“I want to tell you that the demonstration in Abyei was initiated by individual women who were angered by the firing of Kuol Deim but it was not under the women’s group or Abyei citizens. It is their right though,” he said. “In my opinion as chairperson of the civil society organization, it is the president’s prerogative to fire and appoint a chief administrator.”