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By Julius N. Uma
January 11, 2011 (JUBA) - At least 10 southern Sudanese travelling to the south were killed and 18 seriously wounded in ambush on Monday allegedly carried out by armed Messeriya militias at the border between north and south Sudan, an official said Tuesday.
- Southern Sudan’s Interior Minister, Gier Chuang Aluong (right) and Acuil Tito Madut, the south’s Inspector General of Police (left) address a press conference in Juba to announce that ten southern returnees were killed and 18 injured in a Misseriya ambush on the north-south border. Jan 11, 2011 (ST)
The incident on Monday evening occurred on the border of the southern state of Northern Bahr el Ghazel and South Kordofan State, on the northern side of the border, according to Southern Sudan’s Interior Minister, Gier Chuang Aluong.
Chaung said that 30 buses and seven trailers carrying southerners to south Sudan from Khartoum were ambushed. Among those killed, he said, was a driver of one of the buses.
On Sunday southern Sudan began a week-long referendum to decide whether the oil-producing region will split from the north. Voting began on Sunday but was marred by clashes between the militia from the Misseriya ethnic group and police in the contested region of Abyei.
Reuters news agency have reported that 36 have died in the clashes, while Sudanese Arabic newspaper Al-Sahafah has put the figure at 49. Sudan Tribune has been told by officials in the area that the number of dead on the side of the southern security services is between 28 and 38 – not including Misseriya casulties.
There have been conflicting reasons given for sudden spike in violence but more than two Abyei officials have indicated that said the Misseriya attacked because they heard false rumors that the Dinka Ngok tribe, were going to unilaterally announce that Abyei was going to join the south.
The speaker of the regions assembly, Charles Abyei, told Reuters on Monday: "A large number of Misseriya attacked Maker village yesterday (Sunday), backed by government militia ... The first day one person died, the second day nine, yesterday 13 ... It will continue."
The Misseriya, who accuse the southerners of starting the fighting, told Reuters that 13 of their men had died in Sunday’s clashes.
Abyei was supposed to hold a simultaneous vote to the southern referendum independence, to decide whether it would remain in the north or join, what is likely to be, a newly independent south. However, the referendum fell apart with the Khartoum government insisted the Misseriya, who enter the region with their cattle for a few months of the year, be given full voting rights.
The semi-autonomous southern government has rejected this saying that only the Dinka Ngok are eligible to vote.
Southern-Interior-Minister-Chuang, described the continued violence on Monday as inopportune as it occured on the second day of voting in the southern plebscite.
“This is a very unfortunate incident happening on innocent civilians of the south especially at the time when our people are busy with the long-awaited referendum,” the Internal Affairs Minister told a press conference in Juba, the regional state capital.
Chuang, who was flanked by Acuil Tito Madut, the south’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), said the southern government has informed the UN and other stakeholders of the north-south border incident.
Tito said, “All efforts are underway to address the incident with the relevant authorities and somebody, if found guilty shall be held responsible.”
The Minister reiterated earlier calls, by the south, for deployment of UN peacekeeping forces along the north-south border, saying such a move would help avert constant attacks on innocent civilians along these areas.
Expressing fears of a possible increase in the number of casualties involved in the incident, Chuang told journalists that all efforts are underway to ensure that security returns to the area.
(ST)
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