The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) face allegations of assaulting civilians during a Sunday morning ambush, resulting in the deaths of 40 individuals in the contested region of Abyei.
Sultaan Bulabek, the head of the nine chiefdoms in Abyei, informed media that coordinated assaults were executed by soldiers in tandem with armed youth from Twic county in Warrap state, spanning multiple villages.
He asserted that the assault was orchestrated with the intention of displacing the Ngok community from their residences.
A resident, speaking anonymously to media, disclosed that their cousin was among those killed in the assault. They mentioned the impossibility of retrieving the body due to the presence of heavy artillery at the scene.
Major General Akuei Ajou, the commander of the SSPDF’s third division, refuted the accusations, emphasizing that the force’s objective was to safeguard individuals residing between Twic and Abyei.
He further mentioned that the assault on a military base, resulting in the deaths of seven soldiers and civilians, including children on November 13, was carried out by youths from Abyei.
A collective statement issued by the embassies of Norway, the UK, and the US called upon South Sudan to withdraw its troops from Abyei to prevent a further escalation of the violence.
The region of Abyei has been embroiled in a prolonged dispute between Sudan and South Sudan.
The UN Security Council recently prolonged the mandate of its peacekeeping forces for an additional year. These troops have been stationed in Abyei since 2011.
