Roads linking Abyei, Warrap state/Courtesy photo

The South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) has established a buffer zone between Twic of Warrap and Abyei Administrative Area, according to Ajak Deng who is the spokesperson of Abyei Area.

He said the deployment is in the Southern part of Abyei which is the area between Abyei and Twic County.

“Is a new thing, I think they brought the new commander and they increased the number and so they are doing that to create a buffer zone between Abyei and Twic County”, he said.

This move came after residents of the Abyei area demonstrated against what they describe as continuous killing and looting of property in their villages early this week.

The protest was organized by fifteen civil society groups in Abyei town where they handed over a joint petition letter to UNISFA.

The groups condemned what they said have been a systematic killing of villagers in the region since February this year.

They blame governments of South Sudan and Sudan over their silence and failure to condemn and stop the attacks.

In their message, the civil society groups call on the UN Security Council and African Union to put pressure on both Sudan and South Sudan to immediately stop what they say is a conspiracy against Ngok Dinka.

Furthermore, to pressure South Sudan to relocate all its troops from Mijak Kol and Rum-Kor to another location outside of the Abyei area.

Ajak Deng told Eye Radio that the deployed soldiers will help deter road ambushes along the road connecting the two neighboring areas.

“They are busy now opening the road that was blocked at Mading Ayuel–Dit, which is coming from Wau. It has not been working since when people were captured along the road. But they are trying now to deploy along that road so that it can work,” Deng added.

Last month, the US government said it regrets the silence of both Sudan and South Sudan on the status of the Abyei Administrative Area.

It said there should be meetings of joint institutions between the two countries, including the Joint Political and Security Mechanism.

According to the US government, UNISFA should further its support of community dialogue and inter-communal reconciliation through outreach to local peace committees and to those who don’t always understand what the mission does.