Tensions are rising between the Ngok Dinka and Twic Dinka communities in the disputed Abyei area, with the UN warning that the situation could deteriorate.
The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has called for restraint after reports of armed youth being mobilised by both communities in southern Abyei.
The UN peacekeeping mission said the situation remains fragile despite relative calm since a peace conference between the two communities in April 2025.
“We are deeply concerned about recent heightened tensions,” UNISFA said in a Monday statement seen by Radio Tamazuj, urging all sides to avoid actions that could threaten peace and stability in the area.
UNISFA said it had reinforced its presence across southern Abyei and increased patrols and engagement with communities to protect civilians and prevent the situation from deteriorating.
The mission also urged communities to avoid spreading rumours and misinformation that could fuel violence, and called for grievances to be addressed through established peace mechanisms.
The warning comes after a two-year conflict between the Ngok Dinka and Twic Dinka that began in 2022 and left civilians dead, displaced large numbers of people and destroyed property on both sides.
The 2022 fighting was largely driven by disputes over land and territorial control in southern Abyei.
UNISFA urged the communities to prevent a return to violence and pursue a peaceful resolution.
The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) was established by the United Nations Security Council in 2011 to monitor and maintain peace in the disputed Abyei region along the border of Sudan and South Sudan.
The mission was created after the independence of South Sudan and amid tensions over the oil-rich Abyei area, which both countries claim.
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