Youths in Abyei initiated a clean-up campaign on Monday, saying overgrown trees and grasses are posing a security threat in the town, a youth leader said.
Arop Deng, the head of Abyei Youth’s Union, told Abyei Today that trees and grasses grew up within the town after citizens fled fighting in 2011.
“Yes they have start the cleaning campaign today, 11 January, the youths are now cleaning, I think you can now hear the sound of an axe,” he said.
“When the fighting erupted in 2011, the citizens fled to Agok, so trees and grasses have grown in the area,” he added.
Deng added that the campaign is being carried out in collaboration with various community sectors and that it will last for five days.
The youth leader further said the campaign aims at removing a dense forest and grasses within the town. He noted that the forest and the accumulated rubbish are hideouts for criminals.
The campaign will facilitate the return of citizens to their homes, according Deng.
High schools reopen
Separately, Abyei Minister of Education Alor Dou Al-Beit said that secondary school students can now start registration with two secondary schools after they remained closed since 2011.
The Abyei official pointed out the two high schools were rebuilt by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).