43 people killed in deadly Abyei attacks

ABYEI – At least 43 people have been killed and over 36 others have been wounded after suspected armed youth from Warrap State and allies from Unity State launched multiple attacks on several areas of the Abyei Special Administrative Area including the capital Abyei.

Speaking to Sudans Post this morning, Abyei Special Administrative Area information minister Bulis Koc said the first attack, initiated on Saturday morning on a local Market inside Abyei town by Nuer youth displaced into the disputed territory by floods in 2020, resulted in the killing of at least 17 people.

“What happened is that one of the Nuer youths came out of the Madol [IDP] Camp and went to Abyei town with a gun and when the CID personnel followed him he hurriedly went back to the camp running and passed by women fetching water from a borehole,” he said.

“When he realized that the women saw him running into the camp with a weapon, he ran into a different direction and the armed youth within the camp saw that and then joined with those coming from Ajak Kuach in Warrap State and started shooting at people,” he added.

“As a result, about 17 people from Ngok Dinka are confirmed dead and 36 others wounded. 5 people killed from the attackers, who are Nuer youth who came through Ajak Kuach, were killed in that very attack,” he continued.

Abyei Government Secretary-General Arou Manyiel Arou told Sudans Post separately that armed youth belonging to spiritual leader Gai Machiek in the morning hours of Saturday also ambushed a bus carrying Ngok Dinka returnees from Abiemnom County of Ruweng Administrative Area to Abyei.

In that attack, Manyiel said, 13 people, mostly women and children, were killed. Manyiel said two separate attacks in the afternoon resulted in the killing of 13 people, bringing the total number of those who have died to 43.

“The other attack occurred when the militias of Gai Machiek attacked a bus full of Ngok returnees who were coming from Sudan. The bus was coming from Abiemnom County to Rumamer and in that attack, 13 people were killed,” he said.

“In the afternoon, those same youth also launched attacks against civilians in Kadhian killing eight people, Majbuong killing four people, Jouljok, killing 1 person. Now the number of people killed in those attacks is 43 people including those 17 people killed at Nyinkuac market (Abyei town) in the morning,” he added.

The local government official condemned the attacks and called on the central government to launch an immediate investigation so that the perpetrators are brought to account and those refusing to comply with presidential orders to be prosecuted.

“We condemns those attacks in the strongest terms possible and call on the national government, especially the presidency, to launch investigation, bring to account the attackers and also hold accountable those who are defying orders of President Salva Kiir,” he said.

In mid-January, President Salva Kiir ordered the expulsion of Gai Machiek, a Bul-Nuer spiritual leader based in Ajak Kuac Payam of Warrap State, from the area. Machiek, has been accused of involvement in the Abyei conflict. He denies any links with the Twic-Ngok Dinka conflict.

On Monday, residents of Ajak Kuac Payam took to the streets rejecting the presidential order, arguing that Tut Gatluak, Kiir’s security advisor, and Joseph Manytuil, Unity State governor, are influencing the president in order to compel Machiek to return to Unity State where they said he would be harmed.

NOTE: This story has been updated. An earlier version put the number of the dead at 42.