The United Nations mission in Abyei (UNISFA) has disputed a Misseriya leader's claim that peacekeepers reacted slowly to the killing of 13 Sudan traders last week near Daba Um Sajam in the north of the disputed area.

Misseriya leader Ambadi Kabashi had accused UNISFA of failing to pursue the perpetrators after 6 pm, claiming the peacekeepers do not move at night.

UNISFA spokesperson Daniel Adekera denied this allegation, saying the mission conducts day and night patrols and quickly responded by dispatching a ground patrol from Diffra and an air reconnaissance team to search for the perpetrators.

"UNISFA strongly condemns any insinuation that the mission did not respond on time when it received the report," Adekera said.

"When the ground troops reached the site of the incident they found a big burning fire set by the perpetrators. It took the Patrol team about three hours to put off the fire in order to access the scene of the incident in order to verify the actual situation on the ground."

Adekera said the patrol found 15 casualties, all men, including 13 dead. He said the UNISFA troops gave first aid to two wounded men and transported them to a hospital in Diffra for further treatment.

The UNISFA spokesperson said the mission has launched an investigation to find the identities of the perpetrators, and warned against speculation which could increase tensions.

He added that the incident took place in a remote area, with dense vegetation and no villages around, likely used by smugglers trying to avoid "the prying eyes of the mission’s vigilant troops."

"UNISFA is fully committed to its mandated task of ensuring that the Abyei Box is free of arms and requests maximum cooperation from all the stake holders," Adekera continued. "The mission reaffirms its capability to protect all law-abiding members of the community and warns that it would not tolerate people deliberately creating unnecessary tension within the Area."

Related:

13 reported dead in attack on Sudanese traders near Abyei (16 Nov.)