The spokesperson of the Abyei Administrative Area says the Twic-Ngok intercommunal conflict has turned into a lucrative business characterized by looting.
“The land being claimed by the two communities does not concern the people traveling on the road doing business,” said Bol Kuch.
In February 2022, the dispute between the two communities over the ownership of Aneet area led to deadly clashes.
Since then, armed youth from the two communities have been attacking each other.
This occurs despite conduct of several peace dialogues and a recommendation suggesting application of facts based on the 1956 Bahr el Ghazal-South Kordofan border.
The latest fighting between the two communities took place on Thursday last week when armed men attacked and killed two traders.
Several other recent clashes revolved around cattle raiding or looting of commercial vehicles.
This, according to Koch, is no long a conflict over land but business.
“The road linking Twic and Abyei is a national road because it comes all the way from Sudan to South Sudan,” the spokesperson argued.
“And it is a hub connecting Bahr el Ghazal states of Aweil, Warrap, Wau and Rumbek but now some criminals have taken the advantage of the conflict to loot people’s properties.”