Abyei advocates urge release of 16 officials detaining for fueling Twic-Ngok violence

JUBA – Abyei Advocates’ Facts Finding Committee on Monday called for the trial or release of 16 government officials, military leaders, and civilians who have been in detention since April over links with the violence which had erupted in Anet between Ngok and Twic Mayardit Dinka.

The officials were arrested in April 2022 for allegedly inciting the communal violence.

The 16 officials including state ministers, military generals, and civilians have been out in various detention facilities in Abyei and Juba.

Machar Kuol, Chairperson of Abyei Advocates’ Facts Finding Committee called on the ad-hoc committee to release or arraigned them in court rather than just holding them without trial.

“We Abyei Advocate’s Fact-Finding Committee request Vice President, Hussein Abdelbagi, Chairperson for Investigation Committee on Aneet to immediately release the detained leaders of Abyei or bring them to trial if there are any charges against them,” Kuol told reporters during a press conference held in Juba on Monday.

Kuol said the Ad-hoc committee has not framed any charges against them.

“These people were arrested without following legal procedures because there is no evidence to show that these people were part of the fighting,” Kuol said.

Kuol said they were blocked on several occasions from seeing the detainees and also meeting Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, Chairperson of the Ad-hoc committee.

“Abyei Advocates’ Facting-Finding Committee attempted to meet with Abdelbagi Akol, Chairperson for Ad-hoc committee but the committee was unable to meet him despite having given two appointments in September but these attempts all failed.”

“The committee went to National Security Office and was directed to the legal department but unfortunately we were denied to visit detainees.”

In February, fighting erupted at Aneet market in Abyei Administrative Area over land disputed by the two communities.

More than 50,000 people mostly women and children were displaced as a result of the violence.

President Salva Kiir in the aftermath of the violence formed an eleven-member ad-hoc committee headed by Vice President for Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol to investigate the killings in the Aneet market.

On May 5th, leaders from the two communities reached an agreement to cease hostilities but later on fighting erupted again with both sides trading blame.

At least four people including a state minister believed to have incited the renewed fighting have been arrested.