The African Union says it is concerned about killings, abductions and cattle raiding in Abyei over the past few weeks.

Abyei community activists raised concerns this year about attacks from Misseriya tribesmen in the northern part of the region.

In a statement, Dlamini-Zuma decried the reported acts of violence that have included “killings and abductions and the raiding of livestock in various villages” in the disputed region.

Dr. Dlamini-Zuma urged Sudan and South Sudan to quickly establish Abyei Police Service.

She also urged communities in Abyei to “exercise utmost restraint and desist from any action likely to heighten tension in the area.”

Sudan and South Sudan have not reached an agreement on how to conduct a referendum to determine the status of the disputed region.