Twic County accuses Abyei, Mayom County youth of looting goats in Turalei

Local leaders of Twic County in Warrap State on Friday accused armed youth from neighboring Abyei Administrative Area and Mayom County of Unity State of looting goats and destruction of properties on Thursday in Nyiel Kuac Boma of Turalei Payam.

“There was attack last night in Anyiel Kuac boma of Turalei payam in Twic County, they were armed youth from Abyei in collaboration with armed youth from Nuer community of Mayom county,” Aguek Chan, the Commissioner of Twic County said in an interview.

Chan said that 500 goats were looted by the attackers who also torched houses.

“People have escaped and all houses have been burnt, they took 500 goats, they want to displace people and they do not want dialogue,” he said.

He called for the immediate deployment of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) in Aneet to stop the intermittent attacks against civilians.

Bolis Koch Aguar, the minister for information in Abyei Special Administrative Area blamed the attack on a criminal network operating along the border between Twic County and Abyei Special Administrative Area.

 “We have a criminal network along the border between Twic and Abyei Administrative Area, last week we lost 140 goats in Majak area, we need to sit with Twic County, Ruweng and Abyei to seek for the deployment of forces to stop criminal activities,” he said.

President Salva Kiir Mayardit recently ordered for immediate cessation of hostilities between the Ngok Dinka of Abyei and Twic community of Warrap state and also the deployment of neutral forces to prevent conflict.

Kiir also directed the security forces, law enforcement agencies and legal institutions to summon for questioning any politician or group of persons who incite violence on either side of the conflicting communities.