Officials in the Abyei Administrative Area on Friday said that the Council of State ad hoc committee tasked to investigate the conflict between the Ngok Dinka and Twic communities concluded their visit to Abyei and left for Juba on Thursday.
Earlier this month, the upper house of the national parliament formed ad hoc committees to investigate the conflicts between the Balanda and Azande communities in Western Equatoria States, the Nuer, and Dinka communities in Ruweng Administrative Area and Unity State, and the Twic and Ngok Dinka in Warrap State and Abyei respectively.
On 29 October, the Council of States ad hoc committee investigating the Twic-Ngok Dinka conflict traveled to Kuajok town in Warrap State where they meet political and community leaders to understand the genesis of the conflict.
Ajak Deng Miyen, Abyei’s information minister, confirmed the departure of the ad hoc committee for Juba and said they had met and interacted with many groups during their stay in Abyei.
“On Wednesday the committee finalized their work by meeting the Abyei Chamber of Commerce,” he said. “They spent a week in Abyei and met with the youth, women, chiefs, and other institutions.”
Meanwhile, Osman Chol, the chairperson of the Abyei Chamber of Commerce, while briefing the Council of States committee, said the business community in Abyei incurred heavy losses due to the inter-communal conflict that started in February.
“The committee came and stayed with us and they left for Juba on Thursday using an Agok Logistics flight,” he said. “We reported to them our loses and challenges including the fact that goods from Juba could not reach Abyei and those from Sudan not reaching Twic County in Warrap State, Wau in Western Bahr el Ghazal and even Juba.”
Chol said they recommended to the committee that the soldiers that have been deployed in the area not be withdrawn.
“We recommended to the committee that the deployed South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) troops should remain so that our people resume trading,” he said. “When there is insecurity, the free movement of people and goods is not possible.”
Relatedly, a member of the Council of States, John Masua Mandaza, 73, who was on the committee investigating the Ngok-Twic conflict passed away on Monday in Abyei reportedly due to complications linked to hypertension and diabetes. His body was flown to Juba on the same day for burial.