Tension simmers anew in the oil-rich Abyei region, claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, after a deadly ambush on Sunday evening left six people dead, including Deputy Chief Administrator Noon Deng. The attack, attributed by local officials to armed youth from Warrap State in South Sudan, highlights the simmering ethnic tensions and fragility of peace in the contested territory.
Deng and his team were ambushed while returning from Rummamer County, where they had celebrated the New Year. The attack underscores the constant threat of violence in Abyei, where rival factions of the Dinka ethnic group – Twic Dinka from South Sudan and Ngok Dinka from Abyei – remain locked in a territorial dispute.
“His driver and two bodyguards plus two people of national security were all killed,” confirmed South Sudanese lawmaker Tereza Chol. Information Minister for Abyei Bulis Koch placed blame squarely on Twic County youth, but his Warrap State counterpart William Wol urged caution, stating it was “too early to point fingers.”
This latest incident comes on the heels of November’s ethnic clashes that claimed dozens of lives. The simmering conflict in Abyei is rooted in its contested status. Straddling the ill-defined border between Sudan and South Sudan, the region has been claimed by both nations since South Sudan’s independence in 2011. It operates under a special administrative arrangement, with officials appointed by both countries.
Adding to the region’s volatility is the lingering instability in South Sudan itself. Despite a 2018 peace agreement that largely ended the civil war between President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar, the transitional government faces challenges in unifying fragmented military factions.
The attack on Deputy Chief Administrator Deng serves as a stark reminder of the fragile peace in Abyei and the complex web of political and ethnic tensions that continue to threaten the region’s stability. As investigations into the ambush unfold, international observers and local leaders will be closely watching for any potential escalation of violence in the already volatile territory.
