1st Lieutenant General Santino Deng Wol, SSPDF Chief of Defense Forces - Credit: Eye Radio/Lou Nelson - Dec. 22, 2022

SSPDF Chief of Defense Force General Santino Deng Wol led a delegation to Abyei and Twic areas to assess the general security situation.

Deng Kiir, the acting Information Minister in the Abyei Administrative Area confirmed the delegation’s trip to the neighboring communities.

The senior military and security leaders arrived there on Tuesday.

They include General Santino Deng Wol, the Inspector General of the Police Lieutenant General Atem Biar and the Chief of the Internal Security Bureau Gen, Akol Koor.

Kiir says the delegation’s visit was based on the directives of President Salva Kiir to address the conflict between the Twic and Abyei communities.

“The visit of the high-profile security organs headed by Lt. Gen Santino Deng Wol and Gen Akol Koor, the chief of the internal security and IGP for the police General Atem Marol,” said Kiir.

“The purpose of the visit was based on the implementation of the presidential degree that has been issued by the president. So, to address the conflict between Twic and Dinka Ngok in Abyei,” he said.

“The visit came in this regard first of all they landed at Turaley airstrip and then they took their way to Anet, where they were received by Abyei Special Administrative Area and civil society and on that day their only security was conducted in Agok.”

According to the Abyei official spokesperson, the leadership of the country is fully committed to implementing the key provisions of the Presidential directives to achieve sustainable peace between Abyei and Twice County of Warrap State.

Deng Kiir added that the Chief of the Defense Forces, General Wol issued several directives including opening the roads leading to Warrap, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Unity State to allow the free movement of people and goods.

“General Santino Deng Wol the head of the committee concludes this important meeting by coming up with directives that any dispute should stop between the two Communities,” said Kiir.

“There must be free movement all the roads leading to Northern Bahr el Ghazal and to Unity State and from Abyei to Warrap state up to Wau should be opened, and then we will be under the police, no checkpoints just all the police,” he said.

The CDF, according to Kiir, also met with UNISFA’s commander in the Abyei Administrative Area.

The meeting came a day after the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix asked South Sudan’s government to withdraw its troops from the demilitarized area of Abyei.

He warned their presence could further fuel tensions in the area.