Barricade tape for crime scene (Courtesy)

A youth leader is calling for calm between Abyei and Twic after Saturday’s killing of a driver along a major road linking the two areas.

Chol Lual, the chairman of Abyei Youth Association said the unnamed driver was shot dead in Twic while on his way to the Abyei area on July 15.

“They have shot somebody who is the driver, they shot him on the road going to Abyei two days ago, it was in the area of Twic going to Abyei,” said the youth leader.

Mr. Lual calls on both communities of Twic and Ngok to desist from hostilities and find amicable solutions to disputes.

He said revenge killings cannot solve any conflict while emphasizing the need for both communities to live together in peace as one people.

“What I want to say to both communities is that we cannot benefit from this war. You know the revenge doesn’t have an end, if I kill your relative yesterday, tomorrow you will come and kill me, and it doesn’t finish overnight.”

“We need to stop fighting among us, we need to stay as brothers in peace so that everyone who has something to do, can do freely.”

“Let’s seat down, the issue of the land if there’s a problem on that one, ok we have documents and maps, we can go and search for maps and then we come back.”

Lual said the area is still witnessing insecurity from time to time despite many peace dialogues in the past.

A recent investigation compiled by the Council of States found that the military officials gravely contributed to the conflict by allowing the army to participate in communal violence in early 2022.

The report also found that the conflict between the Twic and Ngok Dinka has been heavily politicized by politicians representing the two communities.