ABYEI – At least 32 people have been killed and over 20 wounded in a series of attacks in the Abyei Special Administrative Area today.
Authorities have blamed the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSDPF) from the army’s 3rd infantry division in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state and armed youth from Twic County of Warrap State.
They also said that the armed youth from Twic were backed by the rebel South Sudan People’s Movement/Army (SSPM/A) led by Genera Stephen Buay Rolnyang.
Earlier this morning, the Secretary-General of the Abyei Special Administration Area government, Arou Manyiel Arou, told Sudans Post that armed youth supported by the SSPDF and rebel South Sudan People’s Movement/Army (SSPM/A) of General Stephen Buay Rolnyang, along with armed youth from Twic, had attacked several villages.
In a statement released this evening, the Abyei government confirmed that the attacks resulted in the deaths of 32 people and injuries to 20 others.
“In all these attacks, thirty-two (32) people were killed, including women and children burned to death in their homes, and more than twenty (20) people were wounded. The wounded are receiving treatment at Abyei Town Hospital,” the statement said.
The Abyei Special Administrative Area government strongly condemned the attacks, calling them “heinous” and “a cold-blooded killing of SSPDF families in Ayoak by the same elements of SSPDF of division three.”
“The government of Abyei Special Administrative Area condemns in the strongest terms possible this heinous attack on unarmed civilians as well as the cold-blooded killing of SSPDF families in Ayoak by the same elements of SSPDF of division three,” the statement said.
In a separate statement, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) condemned the attacks and called on the government to urgently form an investigative committee to hold the perpetrators accountable.
“CEPO strongly condemns the killing of civilians in Abyei on November 19, 2023. This is a criminal act and constitutes a human rights violation. The perpetrators should know that they will be held accountable one day,” he said.
“The government should urgently launch an investigation into the incident, and the investigation should be carried out by independent actors unaffiliated with the suspected conflicting parties,” he added.
The activist further emphasized that “the trend of violence between the Abyei and Twic Mayardit communities is becoming increasingly dangerous and deadly, potentially constituting a crime against humanity. However, the central government is not taking the conflict between these communities seriously.”
