The Alal County commissioner, Akuoi Akoon, has said that at least one person was killed and another person is missing following an attack by unknown gunmen on Wednesday in the Mabuny fishing area in of Abyei Administrative Area.
He added that the overall security situation in the county was stable and calm.
“One person was killed on Wednesday at 8 am and those who killed him are not known and another person disappeared and his body has not been found,” Commissioner Akoon said. “My county borders Aweil East County, Lou Aguer Geng area, Awan of Gogrial West County and I don’t think those who did this are those close with us but we also have Messirya in the north-west direction.”
He added: “The security situation is fine but people are living in fear because people get killed and disappeared when they look for fish and honey in the forest.”
For his part, Deng Kuol, the Abyei paramount chief confirmed the incident and urged the youth of South Sudan to be alert.
“There is a problem in Abyei and what we know as the common enemy are the Messirya of Sudan in the Abyei Administrative Area but now there is another situation of fighting between Twic and Abyei which was not there before and this is fueled by both politicians of Abyei and Twic,” Chief Kuol said. “There are long-time relations of intermarriages between Twice community and Ngok-Dinka.”
He added: “As I told you, there are enemies on both sides and nobody really knows who committed this and it is the right of people to collect honey and fish. The youth who got killed were not from Abyei, maybe they were from Awan, Aguok or Twic,”