Abyei watchdog demands immediate SSPDF withdrawal after deadly attacks

ABYEI – The Abyei Civil Society Organization (ACSO) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) from the disputed region, citing a pattern of attacks against Ngok Dinka civilians.

The call for withdrawal comes in the wake of recent attacks on Ngok Dinka villages, which have resulted in the killing of at least 75 people, according to the head of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Nicolas Haysom.

In an open letter addressed to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the civil society watchdog urged the world body to enforce its resolutions calling for the demilitarization of Abyei.

“We, the Ngok Dinka people of Abyei area, today 24 November 2023 have come out in massive numbers from various villages and Abyei town to express our profound dissatisfaction and frustration for the repeated failure of the United Nations Interim Security Forces for Abyei (UNIFSA) to protect the lives of the innocent civilians in Abyei Area,” the statement reads.

The statement further highlighted the deteriorating security situation in Abyei, attributing it to coordinated attacks by Twic armed militias and SSPDF forces since October 2022.

These attacks have resulted in the death and injury of hundreds of civilians, with women and children disproportionately affected.

“Notably security situation in Abyei area is increasingly worsened over the past two years this is due to the coordinated and continues attack on Ngok Dinka villages, by Twic arm militaries and peoples defense forces from ten 2022 to date, the recurrent cycle of deadly attack on the ngok Dinka’s villages have resulted in the death and injures of hundreds of civilian, majority are women and children,” the statement said.

The group specifically mentioned attacks on the villages of Ayouk, Athony, Malual-Aleu, Kha’dhian, Nyiel, Angot, Wuncuei, and Wunpeeth, which have resulted in the deaths of over 46 people and injuries to 34 others.

The civil society’s demand for SSPDF withdrawal underscores the ongoing tensions in Abyei, a disputed region between South Sudan and Sudan.

According to observers, continued presence of armed forces in the area has exacerbated the security situation and exposed civilians to violence.