Local officials reported that a convoy was ambushed by the South Sudanese army, resulting in the deaths of at least three individuals and injuries to five others.
Nyinkwany Aguer Bol, the acting Minister of Information in the Abyei Special Administrative Area, characterized the attack, which occurred in Agok on Sunday, as an “attempted assassination” targeting key officials within the Abyei government.
Among those targeted were the Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agencies, and the Commissioner of Rum-Amer County, who were part of the convoy.
The South Sudanese army did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
Mr. Aguer condemned the incident and highlighted the presence of South Sudanese soldiers in schools in Agok as well as Sunday’s attack as evidence of the South Sudan army’s efforts to undermine the Abyei Administration’s existence.
Abyei is jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan, both of which claim ownership of the region, contributing to a long-standing dispute unresolved since South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
Mr. Aguer urged the South Sudan army leadership in the capital Juba to promptly relocate its troops stationed along the border of Abyei and Twic County of Warrap State.
In February, two armed youth groups from Warrap State in South Sudan launched a raid on Abyei, resulting in the deaths of at least 50 individuals, including two UN peacekeepers.