By William Madouk Garang
Abyei community organization in Juba has put Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi on spotlight for uttering ‘prejudicial’ speech against Dinka Ngok during his visit to Warrap state last week.
The Abyei community showed their shockwave over what they termed as ‘harmful’ speech delivered by Abdelbagi before Twic community chiefs in Wurok, Twic county of Warrap state.
“The said speech (available in audio recording) is full of statement and claims that are one-sided and inciting and justifies for Twic armed youth to continue to launch attacks inside the Ngok of Abyei recognized boundaries,” partly reads the press release by Abyei community.
They refuted the claims that Ngok people attacked Twic areas since conflict emerged in February 2022, and that Twic armed youth have been staging over 30 attacks on Abyei box.
“Vice President Hussein wanted to mislead South Sudanese people by twisting the situation that it is the people of Abyei who have been carrying out the attack,” it adds.
Abyei community said, VP Abdelbagi claims that the current southern border of Abyei area does not exist and was not defined, but only northern, eastern and western of Abyei border with Sudan were demarcated.
According to them, VP’s notion was tantamount of denying the existence of known margins between Twic-Ngok areas nor does he recognize all borders. They also add that Abyei’s southern was based on 1956 boundaries.
“Can VP Hussein say that the current borders between South Sudan and Sudan have not been demarcated? We are surprised that VP Hussein could not understand this simple logic that the borders between South Sudan and Sudan were based on the 1965 boundaries,”
“Further, the position of VP Hussein contradicts the Republican order No. 03/2015 for the establishment of AAA which was based on the Hague map… the Ngok Dinka never created their own boundaries for Abyei as claimed by VP Hussein,”
Abyei community further accused VP Abdelbagi of conspiring to force Ngok Dinka out of their areas to Northern side of River Kiir and that he had directed UNISFA not to have any role in South of River Kiir to grant Twic their wish.
It added that Twic armed youth has been attacking, killing, burning and looting properties since conflict erupted in February, 2022.
“The most recent attacks on the headquarters of Rumamer County of Abyei by combined forces of Twic armed youth and forces loyal to Stephen Buoy and Gai Maciek which resulted in the loss of lives of 13 innocent civilians, including elderly women and children, 37 houses were burned and properties looted,”
However, No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper contacted the press secretary in the office of Abdelbagi, Gabriel Kiir to comment on the concerns raised by Abyei community, but the response was futile by press time.