CEPO condemns continuous violence in Abyei region

JUBA -The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has strongly condemned the continuous violence between the Ngok and Twic communities.

Authorities said armed youth from Warrap State launched fresh attacks in the disputed Abyei area, killing 37 people and wounding 36 others over the weekend.

Abyei’s information minister, Bulis Koch told Sudans Post that armed youth from Twic Mayardit, backed by forces loyal to spiritual leader Gai Machiek, attacked several villages, including Rumamer, Alal and Mijak counties.

CEPO, in a statement issued on Monday, said the latest attack undermined President Salva Kiir’s attempts to peacefully resolve these long-standing disputes.

“We have witnessed serious human rights violations committed by each of them against the other without any accountability and justice. A continuous act of deadly violence is taking place, and no concrete solution is realized,” CEPO’s Executive Director, Edmund Yakani said in the statement Sudans Post obtained.

He added, “This is genocide with no proper political responsibility demonstrated towards resolving disputes of the sisterly communities. Real issues of tensions among the conflicting communities exist, but no practical attempts to resolve it”.

Last month, President Kiir issued a directive for the expulsion of a Nuer spiritual leader and Nuer youths residing in Warrap State to leave the state. The move was to end the conflict between the Abyei and the Twic communities of Warrap State.

In a Republican Order Sudans Post obtained, Kiir ordered immediate cessation of hostilities in the Abyei Special Administrative Area and Twic of Warrap State.

Yakani expressed concerns over delays in implementing the presidential order.

Meanwhile CEPO has called for peaceful co-existence between the Lou Nuer and Murle communities, barely a week after two people were killed and 10 others wounded in an attack at a cattle camp in Akobo County of Jonglei State.

Local authorities blamed the attack on Murle youth from the Greater Pibor Area.

The civil society organization called upon the leadership of the Council of States to hold serious deliberations for generating concrete solutions for resolving the deadly armed disputes among various sisterly communities across the country.

“Punishing sources of arms and ammunition’s supply to the hands of our youth should be the government’s priority for seeking concrete solutions,” stressed Yakani.