The authorities in Abyei Administrative Area on Friday said 1,100 people have been displaced by recent fighting between local youths and those from neighboring Twic County in Warrap State.
Abyei’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) director, Deng Juach Dau, told Radio Tamazuj Friday that the recent clashes caused mass displacement from Aneet and surrounding areas.
“Concerning the recent conflict between Abyei and Twic armed youth, it has contributed to the mass displacement in Aneet nearby areas and this was caused by our brothers from Twic County,” he charged. “Those who were displaced by floods in Unity State and came to reside in Aneet were also displaced during the recent fighting and now they now live in Abithok, Macbuomg, and Awal.”
“According to the survey we carried out with UNOCHA, Nyinkuach IDP camp has 750 Internally Displaced People (IDP) and Bokchok camp has 350,” he added.
Juach said half of Abyei is inundated which makes it difficult for humanitarian organizations to reach affected people.
On his part, the acting Rumamer County commissioner, Kuol Ayom, said the floodwaters have frustrated their efforts to remove dead bodies which now pose a health hazard.
“There is too much flooding in the area and it is a health concern in the county. There are still dead bodies on the ground, about 50 dead bodies were counted in Mabuny and Agok and we have requested the Red Cross to help bury them but they delayed,” he said.
Meanwhile, the SSPDF deployed troops to check the escalating violence between the Abyei and Twic youth after last Monday’s fighting.
SSPDF spokesperson Gen. Lul Ruai told Radio Tamazuj Friday that the deployment will create a buffer zone aimed at stopping clashes.
“It is true that we are deploying a joint security force in areas affected by repeated violence between Ngok Dinka and their brothers from Twic County of Warrap state,” he said. “We have been airlifting our forces to the area but of course, they will not be with Abyei block because Abyei itself is a contested area, they will be on our side of the territory.”
“The buffer zone will mean that the rival communities do not head to violence because the zone will ensure that whoever is coming to attack is prevented from carrying out that violence,” Gen. Ruai added.
The Abyei administration information minister, Ajak Deng, confirmed that the SSPDF deployed in Aneet and Agok.
“The SSPDF is now deployed in the area of Mijakol because there was a force and they were not able to stop the attacks,” he said. “Now the new forces are arriving in Agok town and they will be dispatched to Mijakol military barracks. We hope they will stop the attacks because the army was deployed and still the attacks continued.”