One person was killed and three others wounded yesterday in a clash between Ethiopian troops and citizens of Abyei at the city market.
Witnesses told Radio Tamazuj that a group of Abyei youth tried yesterday afternoon to raid a mosque in the town after learning that a group of Misseriya from the native administration had come to the region to meet with leaders of the Dinka Ngok.
But Ethiopian peacekeeping troops refused them and evacuated the native administration leaders to the headquarters of UNISFA, the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei.
The youth returned to storm the mosque for a second time which led to a clash between the Ethiopian troops and the citizens. Witnesses claimed that the Ethiopian troops fired at the demonstraters, killing a man named Majik Kuol, who was hit in the chest.
Three others were wounded, one of them critically, who was transferred to the UNISFA hospital for treatment.
Sultan Kuol, a Dinka Ngok leader, condemned the Misseriya native administration leaders for coming to the region without prior notice, a move which he called provocative and caused the young people to demonstrate.
UNISFA in a security report yesterday stated that “A group of women and children held a gathering in-front of UNISFA Main Gate on this date at around 0645H demanding a ‘stoppage of violations’ on their land based on what was written on some papers being carried. The crowd dispersed at around 0925H and proceeded to Abyei town.”
“Crowd was also reportedly grouped in Abyei town particularly at the mosque where a group of Misseriya Chiefs are staying. Situation in Abyei town is still tense as of this report,” it added.
The report was apparently prepared before the shooting incident and did not mention any violence at the mosque.
Photo: Protesters in front of the UN base in Abyei in October 2010.