Calm returns to Abyei after market shooting

February 12, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – Authorities from the oil-producing region of Abyei say that calm has returned to the area following a shooting, which occurred when an armed soldier from a joint (North-South) unit of the Sudanese army attempted to enter Abyei town market on Saturday afternoon.

No casualties were reported but angry mob reportedly beat up northern traders when residents were running away from the area to escape shooting between the soldier and local police who attempted to stop him entering the market.

Deng Arop Kuol, the Abyei chief administration in an interview with Sudan Tribune confirmed the incident and described it as simple misunderstanding between an individual element belonging to Joint Integrated Unit (JIU) who had wanted to enter Abyei Market with his gun and the local police who stopped him.

“The situation is under control. There was no fighting. There was only a misunderstanding between two armed security personnel. It was one soldier from Joint Integrated Unit who disagreed with one soldier from the local police because the soldier from JIU wanted to enter the market with his gun which is not allowed”, said Abyei chief administrator.

“The JIU soldier who was refused entry to the market by the police at the check point started shooting into the air as he returned to his base and so the local police responded thinking he was initiating the fight. This created panicking among the civil population and so the angry mob thought it was a fighting between the two armed groups and started to run away from the town but they have now returned to houses because the situation is under control”, explained Kuol.

He said four traders from the north sustained injuries after an angry mob started to beat them but were rescued by the local authorities in collaboration with the police forces.

“No death casualties. It was only the beating by the civilians. They are now admitted in one of the clinics in the area”, said the Abyei chief administrator.

Colonel Phillip Aguer Panyang, spokesman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in an interview with Sudan Tribune from Juba also confirmed the shooting and reiterated that situation is under control.

“What we heard was that a soldier from Joint Integrated Unit in the area entered the market with his gun in civilian dress and so the police were trying to trace his identity. In the process of wanting to know his identity they failed to understand themselves and so resulting into the shooting thus created panicking among the local population but the situation was later controlled”, said Aguer.

Eye witnesses say traders in the market closed down their shops and started running away after hearing the shooting together with the civil population. “Yes, there was shooting in the market between the local police forces and Jointed integrated unit today but they all returned after the administration came out to assure them that the situation is under control”, said paramount chief Kuol Deng Kuol.

(ST)