Authorities in Twic County of Warrap State have allowed nine new vehicles that had been allegedly blocked by area armed youth from proceeding to Abyei Administrative Area.
According to officials, the vehicles were donated by the national government to the area government.
Upon reaching Twic County, the youth, who reportedly thought that the vehicles were transporting weapons to Abyei youth, whom they have been fighting over a land ownership, blocked them – demanding that they be searched
As a result, the SSPDF chief of staff, Santino Deng Wol, granted the gun search.
“The nine vehicles were checked yesterday in the presence of local chiefs. Nothing was found in them,” Mangok Kom told Mayardit FM on Friday.
When the youth realized they vehicles were empty, Kom said, they allowed them to proceed to their destination.
The vehicles include one Toyota TX, Toyota pickups and Toyota hardtops.
Abyei Information Radio service –AIRS confirmed on its website, saying the vehicles arrived in Abyei on Thursday.
In February 2022, a dispute between the two communities over the ownership of Southern Kiir River led to clashes between armed youth from Twic and Abyei.
Since then, about 150 people have been killed in the intercommunal conflict.