October 13, 2022 (JUBA) – South Sudan has deployed a battalion of troops to calm the tense situation between Twic and the Dinka Ngok sections in the border region of Abyei.
On Monday, clashes between the two communities displaced the elderly, women and children.
Several properties were also destroyed and lives lost.
Authorities in the area traded accusations with each blaming the other of having been the aggressor.
The United Nations interim security forces for Abyei (UNISFA) received civilians and unarmed persons seeking protection within their premises.
But the situation outside the vicinity of the forces deteriorated, with some authorities and local officials describing it as dire and horrible.
Social media showed footages of people put into a hole used for burial. While some sustained gunshot wounds, others were hacked.
The conflict started in February 2022 when the two communities intensified and exerted territorial claim over a stretch of a local market following reports of a south Sudan-appointed Abyei administration as having deployed armed groups to carry out surveys despite calls and protests to suspend the activities.
On February 10, President Salva Kiir formed an investigation under the chairmanship of the Vice President for the services cluster, deputised by Unity State governor Joseph Nguen Monytuil and the Minister of Investment, Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol as the secretary of the committee to investigate and establish the facts and to make a recommendation on the way forward.
The committee carried out the investigation, analyzed the situation, causes, and motivates, prepared the report, and presented it to the president for action. President Kiir took time to act.
On October 11, 2022, clashes resumed.
On October 12, 2022, the president responded and troops were deployed to the area in which the clash occurred. These forces will now operate in the territory either defined and considered as belonging to Abyei or in south Sudan. Their main objective is to contain the situation from escalating.
Mathok lauded the deployment of forces to stabilize the situation on the ground and to avert further escalation of violence between the two clashing communities as part of the implementation of the recommendation of the report which the committee had prepared and presented to Kiir for implementation.
He used the opportunity to announce postponing of holding the conference which the committee had planned to take place in Aweil, the administrative capital of Northern Bahr El Ghazal state.
No new date has, however, been fixed.
“The investigation on Twic- Ngok inter-communal clashes, held an urgent meeting chaired by His excellency the vice president and the chairperson of the committee to examine the area and resolved to Postpones the upcoming peace and reconciliation conference scheduled 0n 17 October in Aweil, Northern Bahr El Ghazal until further notice,” reads the statement.
“Applauds the deployment of forces to stabilize the situation on the ground and to avert further escalation of violence between the two clashing communities as part of the implementation of its recommendations”, adds the statement carrying the signature and name of South Sudan’s Investment minister.
The statement called upon the conflicting to recommit to the cessation of the hostilities agreement they signed in Aweil in April 2022.
(ST)