The local authorities in the Abyei Special Administrative Area and Warrap State’s Twic County on Thursday confirmed that three women who were abducted on Monday had been released and taken to Twic County.
According to officials, three women and one man were fishing along Kiir River when armed youth from Twic who were backed by armed elements loyal to a traditional religious leader, Gai Machiek who lives in Twic County’s Ajak Kuac Payam killed a man and abducted three women.
Bulis Koch, the Abyei information minister, told Radio Tamazuj Thursday that the women were freed after talks between the armed Twic youth and Abyei authorities.
“Over four days ago, the armed Nuer youth of General Gai Machiek abducted five women and took them to Buombil village in Twic County. Information came to the Rumamer County commissioner from the Buombil area about the abducted women but the commissioner failed to negotiate their release,” he explained. “However, a resident of Abyei whose brother’s wife was among the abductees contacted a person he knows in Twic County, and a connection was made with the abductors who demanded a ransom of SSP 3 million. They were paid the SSP 500,000 the same day and these women from Abyei were released.”
Minister Koch described the abductions as a criminal activity that affects women and children who are not part of the bloody border conflict.
“Last year when there was flooding, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Unity State’s Mayom County relocated to Abyei so it is difficult to distinguish who are Nuer armed youth involved in these criminal activities and Nuer IDPs,” he stated.
In what has increasingly become a blame game, officials from Abyei and Twic County often accuse each other’s armed youth of crimes, including abductions.
Koch accused the Twic Titweng (youth who protect cattle) of being behind Monday’s incident.
“On Monday, another abduction occurred in Rumamer County and the abductors demanded ransom from the Abyei authorities like what happened in Buombil,” he revealed. “Negotiations were done on Tuesday and Wednesday with the armed youth from Twic but the commissioner of Rumamer County and the SSPDF in Aneet managed to rescue the abductees and took them to Twic County on Wednesday.”
According to Koch, no ransom was paid to the abductors this time round and the abducted women were received on Wednesday by Twic County Commissioner Simon Aguek Chan.
“We want to show to the people that we need peace and that women and little children have no relationship with war and conflict, he said. “The three abducted women were not raped and were very happy even when they talked over Mayardit FM.”
For his part, Ayuel Kiir, the Rumamer County commissioner in Abyei, confirmed that women were freed on Tuesday without the ransom being paid to abductors.
“These women do not live in Rumamer but were fishing in Rayen village on Kiir River near the place where Abyei’s former deputy chief administrator was killed and they were taken to Juol-Jook village,” he stated. “I heard this information at 6 p.m. on Monday and ordered the forces to go there and the armed youth refused to hand over women and almost fought with my forces. I then called my forces back and on Tuesday morning wrote a letter to the SSPDF commander in Aneet and he managed to bring the women into my office.”
“Nobody is above the law and I am the authorized person here according to the constitution so they (armed youth) should not think they are more powerful than government,” Commissioner Kiir added.
He said the security situation is now fine but expressed concern that armed Twic youth regrouped in Ayuok Ngor village and are now moving towards Ajak Thony but revealed that the SSPDF were pursuing them.
Meanwhile, Twic County Commissioner Simon Aguek Chan stated that the people in his area are living in fear of attacks by armed Nuer youth from Abyei who are backed by Tit-Baai (an Abyei youth protection force).
“These women were fishing at Anyiel Kuac of Turalei Payam when four men who were guarding them were shot leading to the death of one person and abduction of four women,” he explained. “On Tuesday, they were rescued by the SSPDF and they were brought to Turalei headquarters in Twic County on Thursday.”
He accused armed youth from Abyei who he said were backed by armed Nuer youth of carrying out killing and abductions.