The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) said it is deeply concerned about the recent spate of attacks on civilians within Abyei Area which has resulted in the loss of innocent civilians’ lives.

“On 13 October 2017, there was a violent incident at the Amiet Common Market, located 15 kilometers north of Abyei town, in which an unknown armed group opened fire killing two women and injuring four others. In another violent incident on 15 October 2017, in the general area of Banton, located eight kilometers south of Abyei town, three unknown assailants opened fire on a commercial vehicle, leading to the death of one woman and injury to two others,” UNISFA said in a statement on Wednesday.

These incidents, according to the statement, coming at a time when the Amiet common market is helping both communities rebuild inter-communal harmony, adding that the attacks represent the work of ‘spoilers’ and criminals bent on reversing the gains made to ensure sustainable peace and security within the Abyei Area.

UNISFA considered these attacks on innocent civilians going about their activities a blatant violation of the weapons-free status of Abyei Area, and condemned them in the strongest possible violations in very strong terms.

The peacekeeping force in the area reiterated that any presence of armed groups within its area of responsibility is a violation of its mandate and the mission will not hesitate to engage forcefully within its Chapter VII mandate with those engaged in such violations.

“UNISFA is fully committed to its mandated task of protection of civilians and ensuring that the Abyei Area is free of arms.  The mission reaffirms its intent to protect all members of the community and requests maximum cooperation from all the stakeholders in order to enable the mission to achieve this task,” partly reads the statement.

Meanwhile, the UNISFA Force Commander and Acting Head of Mission, Major General Tesfay Gidey Hailemichael, has applauded the two communities in Abyei Area for their commitment to peace and called on them to identify the criminal elements in their midst responsible for disrupting the relative peace and security currently prevailing in Abyei.