Tajalei

With the growing military presence in northern Abyei, an already dire humanitarian situation looms on the edge of becoming worse. The most recent crises, involving the burning of three villages, forced the displacement of thousands of people to south of Abyei town along the River Kiir.

The Enough Project has released a video statement from an eye witness of the razing of Maker Abior village who said he saw combatants wearing SAF uniforms as well as other armed actors who appeared to be Janjaweed.

“Arabs attacked the village. Some were wearing SAF uniforms. Some were dressed like Janjaweed,” said Kuol Alor Kuol, a 73-year-old eye witness and resident of the village. “We will stay here because it is our land. This is our ancestors’ land.”
 

In the aftermath of a wave of violence in Abyei that left over 100 dead and saw the systematic burning of three villages just north of Abyei town, tens of thousands of civilians have fled while residents still in town are angry, disillusioned, and anxious, according to on-the-ground reporting and visuals from Enough photographer Tim Freccia. Freccia, who has been based in Abyei since violence broke out early last week, reports that the situation in the contested and highly-volatile border region today is relatively quiet, if fraught with tension.