Community police in the Abyei Area say they have prevented a robbery by troops of the SPLA-Juba faction, which resulted in some gunfire in a market area.

Abyei is a disputed territory along the Sudan-South Sudan border next to the battleground Unity State, which is partially controlled by SPLA-Juba and its allies JEM and SSLA.

The territory lacks a formal legalized police service because Sudan and South Sudan have not agreed on the administrative structures necessary to support such a service, but ‘community police’ patrol the area.

Deputy Police Commander Gassim Atem Atem said they have stopped an attempt by soldiers from Unity State to rob a lodging house at a market in Agok.

As reported by Abyei Today Newsletter, the commander said a number of SPLA troops fired guns as they tried to steal money and other goods last Sunday.

The police commander said nobody was hurt and the situation returned to calm.

Meanwhile, the head of the SPLA-Juba forces, Salva Kiir, has committed to donate 12 vehicles to a group of Ngok Dinka chiefs from Abyei who visited him in Juba.

One of the chiefs, Kuol Alor, said the vehicles would help them carry out their duties, Abyei Today reported.

File photo: Police in the Abyei Area (Enough Project/Tim Freccia)