The Abyei area authorities said on Thursday that two members of the community policing unit were killed after armed Misseriya Arab nomads attacked the Amiet police detention cell at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
Officials reported that two armed Misseriya men, who were herding cattle within the disputed area of Abyei, assaulted the station in an attempt to force the release of a detained colleague.
This marks the fifth recent attack on the Amiet area in Ameth Aguok County by neighboring Misseriya groups. Previous incidents include the burning of the Amiet market, which affected both local and foreign traders. Road ambushes have also occurred multiple times along the Abyei-Amiet stretch, most originating from the Sudan side.
Abyei police spokesman Yuohna Akol Ngor told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that the fatal incident was deeply troubling.
“At 2 o’clock local time, the community police station in Amiet area of Ameth Aguok County experienced an attack from Misseriya armed men. They killed two policemen on the spot, and two others—a man and a woman—were left with bullet wounds,” he said.
Ngor stated that similar incidents had occurred five times in the Amiet area, with fatalities reported each time. He condemned the attack and called on peacekeeping agencies to investigate.
“After killing the two, they took their person who was in police custody and fled. The Abyei area government condemns the killing in the strongest terms possible. This is a barbaric act done by the Misseriya militia and must stop. We urge the United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) to strengthen their role,” he said.
Ngor also urged the Misseriya community to cease attacks on Abyei and extended condolences to the families of the deceased.
The Abyei Information Ministry said the overall security situation remained calm following the surprise and fatal shooting.
Amiet area chief Bel Bel confirmed the incident, stating that the perpetrators had not been apprehended despite efforts by peace committees to track them.
“Elements from the Misseriya side staged an attack at a police station and shot two people dead. The Misseriya gunmen then fled into the thick bushes even as their fellow Misseriya men in the peace committee pursued them,” he said.
Misseriya leaders could not immediately be reached for comments.
Separately, UNISFA reported that joint efforts with local leaders have helped de-escalate tensions between the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities in Abyei.
“On 21 and 22 July, an attack by suspected Misseriyas at the Joint Protection Committee (JPC) detention cell in Amiet common market prompted a retaliatory attack by suspected Ngok Dinkas,” it said in a statement extended to Radio Tamazuj.
Two JPC volunteers from the Ngok Dinka community and five Misseriyas were killed, with several others injured, heightening tensions and disrupting trade.
A UNISFA Quick Reaction Force patrolling the market came under fire, with bullets striking an armored personnel carrier and a nearby observation post. The joint market, established through intercommunity dialogue in 2016, is a key trading hub where the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities typically coexist peacefully.
“We strongly condemn the unacceptable targeting of our patrol, which poses a serious threat to the safety and security of our peacekeepers, and call on those responsible to immediately cease such actions. The violence risks undermining gains made through previous peace agreements, which have resulted in over two years of peaceful coexistence between the communities,” the Mission said.
UNISFA urged all parties to commit to peace and avoid actions that could reignite violence.
Sudan and South Sudan are disputing the oil-rich Abyei, an area inhabited by Arab Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities.
In October 2013, the Ngok Dinka community conducted a unilateral popular referendum, in which the vast majority of people voted to join South Sudan. However, neither Sudan nor South Sudan recognized the plebiscite so far.