Residents Of Abyei Express Concerns Over Clashes

4th March 2011 – (Abyei) –Residents of Abyei have expressed concerns following clashes between the Messeriya militias and South Sudan Joint Police which has left at least fifteen people dead.

Chol Makwac is a resident of Abyei. He spoke to SRS by phone from Abyei on Thursday.

[Chol Makwac]: “The situation in Abyei is very tense and the civilians are worried so much about their lives and their property. The so-called militias, I believe that these people are actually not militias, they started attacks on Todach as from Saturday night and they have since continued till yesterday [Wednesday]. They also attacked Maker area. They used heavy weapons. The sounds of these heavy weapons were heard from a distance of thirteen kilometers. “

The leader of the Abyei Women’s Association, Elizabeth Nyanaut Kuol is urging the Federal Government and the Government of Southern Sudan to find a solution for the on-going unrest in the area.

[Elizabeth Nyanaut]: “It is necessary that the two governments be serious in resolving the pending issues because those who are dying from the two sides are a great loss which is not in the interest of the two would be countries, neither the north nor the south. We were supposed by now to concentrate efforts on Darfur peace process, solve the Darfur problem so that peace prevails all over the Sudan.”

In reaction to the statement s made by the people of Abyei the deputy Chief Administrator of Abyei and a leading member of the Misseriya, Abdel Rahman Al-Nur says the situation in Abyei is now calm.

He spoke to SRS by phone from Abyei on Thursday.

[Rahman Al-Nur]: “Now the situation is okay and let people not do more propaganda. Yes yesterday there were battles but today the situation is okay. Of course the citizens have the right to panic because there have been so many problems. Now we want the citizens to return to Abyei.The message I would like to pass to the people of Abyei is that we shall commit ourselves seriously, to bring peace so that in the coming period there will be peace in the area inshalla”.

Mister Abdel Rahman Al-Nur was speaking to SRS from Abyei on Thursday.