A hut lays ruin after the Wednesday, 22 Jan 2020 attack | Credit | Resident

The United Nations Security Council has called for a speedy investigation into last week’s attack in Abyei area in which more than 30 people were killed.

On 22 January, over 32 people including children were killed in Kolom village about 12 kilometers northwest of Abyei town by armed Misseryia men.

The attack caused nationwide outrage in South Sudan with survivors of the attack blaming the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) for failing to protect them.

Following the outrage, South Sudan and Sudan agreed last week to form a committee to investigate the attack.

The decision was made during a meeting between President Salva Kiir and the Deputy Chairperson of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo at the State House in Juba.

But Mr Alor who is the Chief Administrator of Abyei Administrative Area told Eye Radio on Monday that he was not aware of the said committee.

The United Nations Security Council is now calling on governments of both Sudan and South Sudan to quickly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to the book.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the UN Security Council said it welcomed the reports that the governments of Sudan and South Sudan have committed to deescalate tensions.

“The Council called on the two sides to coordinate an investigation without delay with the assistance of United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei and those responsible must be held accountable,” the statement said.

The Council members also said the African Union and the UN Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa should intensify their mediation roles with governments of the two countries to establish temporary administrative and security arrangements for Abyei.

The Abyei area has remained a contested region between the two countries since 2005.