Soldiers accessing a market that was torched by gunmen in Abyei. (File photo/courtesy).

Abyei Administrative Area Information Minister has accused youth from Warrap State of colluding with militias to attack the area on September 29, an allegation denied by Kuajok.

Abyei Information Minister Bol Koch claims armed youth from Warrap’s Ajakuach, led by the militias allied to Gai Machek and Stephen Buay, allegedly based in the area, carried out the attack on Nyinkuec market in Abyei.

As a result, 14 people, including women and children, were killed and 17 others were injured.

“Precisely, those who did this attack are youth from Ajakuach in Warap state together with the militias of Gai Machek and Stephen Buay,” Bol said.

“When Gai Machek rebelled in Unity State, he went and settled in Warap state in Ajakuach and he went there and did alliance because they have contained him, and they are attacking Abyei.”

But Warrap State Minister of Information denied the accusation describing it as baseless.

William Wol Mayom said the attackers probably came from another state and launched the attack through Warrap’s northern border.

“This is a baseless complaint or claim because our youth also have been complaining on the same scenario that people from Unity State on the same day that incident took place in Abyei also carry out an attack happened in Twic County,” Mayom said.

“Therefore, it could be a concurring attack made by the people of Unity State, otherwise the minister’s claimes are not true, and our youth are never crossing the border of Abyei.”

Unity State authorities were not immediately available to respond to the allegations.

“We are committed to peace and the local government and state government have already laid down the modality for the youth of Twic not to cross to the other side of Abyei,” the Warrap official added.

However, in a press statement issued on Monday, the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee – a body comprising officials from Sudan and South Sudan, said the incident was perpetrated by armed forces from Twic Mayardit.

The committee urged UNISFA to adhere and commit themselves to their mandate of protecting civilians under imminent security threats, by applying utmost vigilance to prevent such incidents.

Meanwhile, the Abyei Civil Society Organization called on UNISFA to deploy protection units in the markets to ensure that security is intact against imminent threats.

Early this year, UNISFA echoed the Security Council’s request to both Sudan and South Sudan to ensure that the Abyei area is demilitarized from any forces, as well as armed elements of the local communities.