The authorities of Warrap State’s Twic County and Abyei Special Administrative Area (ASAA) on Wednesday traded accusations over fresh fighting along their border in which one person died and four others were injured.
The fighting happened in Malual Aleu village in the Athony area.
Twic County Commissioner Simon Aguek accused armed Ngok Dinka youth from Abyei of attacking the youth in his county.
“Armed youth from Abyei clashed with armed youth from Twic in Malual Aleu village which is claimed by Twic County and Abyei and one person from my side was killed and four people were wounded on Tuesday and the injured are admitted in Mayen Abun Hospital,” he said.
Aguek also said that two Twic youths who were traveling in a vehicle belonging to the UNHCR were kidnapped by the Abyei youth.
“I am now in the meeting with UNHCR officials who want to know the whereabouts of two youths who were taken out of their car by youth suspected to be from Abyei,” he added.
Meanwhile, Abyei Information Minister Bulis Koch accused armed youth from Twic County of erecting an illegal checkpoint in Abyei which angered the local youth.
“On Tuesday there were clashes between our armed youth and those of Twic because they (Twic youth) erected another illegal checkpoint in Athony area near Malual Aleu village and Abyei area youth clashed with them (Twic armed youth) and four youth from Twic County were shot and Abyei youth never experienced any injuries or losses, he said. “What Twic did was bad because they beheaded two youths from Abyei during the past incident in Ayuok village and money was put in their mouths. It is something inhuman and this was known when Twic armed youth posted it on Social media. I will share these pictures with you today.”
Minister Koch also accused the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and SSPDF of not protecting the civilians of Abyei.
“That was why the civil society organizations in Abyei protested and called for the removal of the UNISFA commander because they respond only after an incident or when fighting has stopped,” he stated. “The same thing is also done by the SSPDF. They are near where two groups of youth clashed and they did not come out to stop the fighting.”