Twic-Ngok committee submits report to Kiir

The Twic-Ngok inter-communal clashes investigation committee headed by Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol on Friday submitted its report to President Salva Kiir.

The Twic-Ngok inter-communal clashes investigation committee headed by Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol on Friday submitted its report to President Salva Kiir.

The document specifies that the conflict was triggered by border issues and the committee recommended the establishment of a court to try perpetrators of violence in the area and a border commission to demarcate internal boundaries among others.

The inter-communal conflict between the Twic community and Ngok Dinka of Abyei started in February and escalated in March when the Twic youth attacked Aneet killing many people and setting the market ablaze.

The secretary of the committee, National Investment Minister Dhieu Mathok, told Radio Tamazuj that among their recommendations was the establishment of a High Court and a National Border Commission.

“There are so many crimes which were committed, atrocities and murderers, and looting and we thought those crimes should be dealt with through a competent court and a justice institution to address these issues,” he said. “We believe that ministry of justice should address this, to see that a court is established and is functioning. The committee is ready to facilitate the court, to oversee its work on the ground.”

Minister Mathok added that the committee also recommended the establishment of a border commission.

“We know that there is a committee that was established by Micheal Makuei to mark boundaries between Sudan and South Sudan. That committee is working very well,” he said. “They have taken more steps towards resolving the issues of the boundaries between Sudan and South Sudan but we realized there is a need for us to have a national boundary commission that is going to address the internal boundaries.”

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Abyei Civil Society Organisation, Rou Manyiel, welcomed the recommendation to demarcate internal boundaries.

“We want this issue of demarcation of the boundaries to be done as soon as possible. There are some recommendations that do not make sense to us like deployment (of forces) in the area because we are not part of the conflict,” he said.