Urgent call for investigations into the killing of 21 people in Abyi area

(24 May 2022) the African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) expresses deep concern over the continued inter-tribal attacks between the between Dinka and Messeria tribes in Abyi area located at the border between Sudan and South Sudan. These attacks have resulted into the killing and injuring of several people. ACJPS documented the killing of 21 people and injury of 12 others in four separate incidents in Abyi between April and May 2022.  ACJPS calls on the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and the international community, to conduct an impartial and independent investigations into the circumstances of the killings and injuring. This investigation should be carried out with the aim of ensuring accountability.

ACJPS further calls upon:

UNISFA

• To deploy widely and ensure that patrol covers the upper areas, access ways and roads, links between the markets and main residential areas.
• To review the 2015 Agreement between the Dinka and Messeria tribes that was signed in Alnam area in Abyi, in which both parties committed to ensuring security in joint markets known as peace markets, agreed to adopt compensation as a form of accountability in cases of damage resulting from attacks or loss of cattle (the 2015 agreement had ensured security in the area until June 2019 when the attacks resumed).

Authorities in Sudan and South Sudan

• To resume peace talks and ensure efforts to resolve to pending issues relating to Abyi Area.
• South Sudan government to liase with UNISFA on inter-Dinka peace talks to resolve the  conflicts between Dinka Noge and Twigc living in Warrap State.

Abyi Community

• Communities of Messeria and Dinka to respect the customary law
• To establish a security alert mechanism
• To ensure security on cattle passages and roads known as Marahiel.

 Conference on social peace

On 17 May 2022, 15 members of the native administration of Dinka Ngoc, led by Sultan Bulabek Deng Kuol and 15 members of the Messeria tribe, led by their head, Mr. Alnazir and Mr. Alsadiq Herika Izz Eldein participated in a conference on social peace held in Entebbe, Uganda under the umbrella of UNISFA. Participants included women and youth representatives from both administrations. The conference took place between 17^th – 19^th May 2022. This conference was organized after both tribes failed to come up with resolutions addressing the insecurity in Abyi area from the meeting held in February 2021 between the Dinka and the Messeria tribe.

During the conference, participants were encouraged to engage one another on achieving lasting peace in Abyi Area. The two tribes acknowledged the importance of peace and pledged their participation/contribution towards achieving lasting peace in Abyi Area. The leaders of both tribes further pledged to play their roles as agents of peace by advocating for inter-community dialogues to protect rights of women and children and protect cattle in the area. They also pledged to welcome and support any peace initiative between the government of Sudan and South Sudan in relation to Abyi Area. Both communities called upon UNISFA to release the investigation report on the killing of Sultan Koul Deng Koul and Other 13other Messeria members in 2013.

The names of the participants are:

Dinka Nogc delegation

1. Bulaber Deng Kuol Atop, head of delegation
2. Bagat Mukuac Abiem
3. Nyiol Pagwuot Deng
4. Atop Kuol kon
5. Mijok Kuol Lual
6. Akonon Ajuong Deng
7. Balbel Chol Akuei
8. Both Ajak Malual
9. Riyad Monyror Pur Chol
10. Ring achuil Jouc
11. Shima Deng Ajinh(f)
12. Gum Achuol kuol
13. Ring Deng Kuol
14. Ring Deng Nyok
15. Ajing Mithiang Ayuong

Messeria Delegation

1. Alsadiq Alherika Izz Eldien, head of the delegation
2. Ismail Hamdeen Humidan
3. Hamdi Aldood Ismail
4. Hamad Allah Aboud Noorien
5. Mohamed Alobied
6. Radwan Jafaar Alsalem
7. Alomda Alsadiq Adam Ahmed
8. Aljak Suliman Rahma
9. Jebreel Hamad Ahmed Berigi
10. Saeed Hamadeen Eidam
11. Jamei Alsidiq Abu Hejel
12. Saeed Mohamed Ismail
13. Basra Alshomo Hamadeen(f)
14. Samah Musa Mohamed(f)
15. Ambadi Yahya kabashi

Incidents of attacks in Abyi Area

On 16 May 2022, at around 02:00am, a group of approximately 25 armed men from Dinka Twig, resident in Warrap State, South Sudan launched an attack on the Southern border between Warrap state and Abyi area. A group of youth in Abyi retaliated which resulted into the killing of Mr. Pole Mutwange, a 45-year-old and 7 members of Dinka Nagag tribe. At least 6 people were injured and later transferred to Abyi Hospital for further medical care.

Names of the deceased are:

1. Dew Manyang 51, Teacher
2. Koul Deng Adol (m) 27
3. Pole Chol koor (m) 30
4. Raw manile (m) 25
5. Deng Kerico (m) 32
6. Manyang Majook Pole (m) 21
7. Chol Kual Akween (m) 28
8. Alor Mulwal (m) 60

The injured are:

1. Manyang Kuot Maw (m) 28
2. Deng Alour Acoul (m) 45
3. Malwal Aroob (m) 33
4. Chol Deng Adol (m) 50
5. Motyer Chol Motyer (m) 70
6. Alor Deng Lual (m) 38

On 14 May 2022, in a separate incident, at 11:30am, armed group from the Messeria tribe in Abyi area attacked passengers in truck that was on its way from Anet market to Abyi town. They opened gunfire on the moving truck resulting to the injuring of two passengers and the driver. The three were transferred to Abyi Hospital for further medical care. It is on this basis that the Abyi Area administration called upon UNISFA to ensure security on the roads to avoid reoccurrence of such incidences.

The injured are:

• Jericho Gome(m).
• Chol Meshuar(m).
• James Maywer (m).

On 13 April 2022, at 06:00am, a group of approximately 45 members of the Messeria tribe in Abyi area, armed with automatic guns, riding on ordinary motorcycles and tuk tuk (motorcycle taxi) and others walking on foot attacked three villages of loe, Nong and Amiet occupied by the Dinka Ngok tribe. The area hosts one of the peaceful markets (without conflict). This market is utilized by both the Messeria and Dink Ngok and receives dealers from Dinka Twigc tribe of Warrap State. The attack resulted to the killing of 13 men and injuring 39 others from the Dinka tribe. The Messeria informed ACJPS that the reason for the attack was the alleged act of blocking cattle passageway by the Dinka. Both communities are nomads, the Messeria tribe live in Northern side of Abyi Area and can only access Aweil North located in Northern Bihar Algazal State of South Sudan by crossing through the Dinka Ngok territory in the Southern Area of Abyi. The Dinka retaliated using automatic machine guns. Before the attack, the Dinka community in the three villages managed to evacuate women and children away from areas of gun battle.

The deceased (Dinka Ngok tribesmen) are:

1. Mayon Methane (m) 30, community policemen.
2. Arob Alor Koala (m) 52, public servant, works for ministry of finance of South Sudan attached to Abyi administration body.
3. Shan Maloal (m) 31, driver at ministry of finance of Abyi administration.
4. Atyan Name (m) 28, worker.
5. Maloal coot(m) 42, worker
6. Malawi Aweel (m) 51, commercial workers at Amit Market.
7. Sabit Juma (m) 28, community police.
8. Sweet Moor (m) 60.
9. Aloi Ayoum (m) 49, public servant, Abyi administration.
10. Manget Guaaj (m) 35, charcoal sealer.
11. Cardoon Mayor(m) 32, community police,
12. Malek Majook (m) 33
13. Yarn Zonae(m) 72

On 24 February 2022, three men were injured by a bomb that exploded while they were riding on a motorcycle in Dabat Makiir village neighboring Abyi Area. They were rescued and evacuated by UNISFA aircraft in Abyi to Kadogli airport in South Kordfan State and admitted in Sudanese military hospital. Their names are:

1. Ismail Dico (m)
2. Mohamed Bella Tebigan (m)
3. Mohamed Add Nialli (m)

Background

Dinka Twigc tribe reside in Warrap State in South Sudan bordering Abyi Area near the Anet Market. Anet market is one the markets jointly shared by both Dinka and Messeria communities. There had previously been inter-boarder conflicts between the two communities, but these increased in February 2022 after the Abyi administration started a planning a project in Anet market because it is one of trading centers that gets its goods from Sudan, taking advantage of the intermarriages between Dinka Ngok and Messeria. The intermarried move freely between the two communities thus facilitating the transportation of goods. This proposed project was rejected by the Dinka Rwic who reside in Warrap State but consider themselves part of Abyi. They believed that the project would enable Dinka Ngok to control Abyi through planning and registration of land.