Warrap: Buoyar and Abiem communities reconcile over border dispute

Warrap State authorities said on Friday that the Buoyar community in Gogrial East County and the Abiem Mayar Mareng of Tonj North County had reconciled over a border dispute.

According to officials, the Abiem Mayar Mareng accused the Buoyar of performing rituals to make them stronger in attacks, an accusation the latter denied.

According to officials, killings, shootings of passers-by and muggings have been recorded along the Wau-Luony Aker road in Gogrial East this year as both the Wau and Gogrial East communities laid claim to the Manyang area.

Gogrial East District Commissioner William Duchak told Radio Tamazuj that a reconciliation meeting was held in Mayen Rual town in Gogrial East with Tonj North Acting District Commissioner Daniel Mangar Ayai.

“We held a peace meeting with my colleague in the town of Mayen Rual with the aim of bringing the two communities closer together, because there had been a misunderstanding since April that was likely to lead to conflict,” Duchak said.

“Some criminals from both sides encouraged cattle thefts and killings in the Manyang area, which is in the middle of Gogrial East, Tonj North in Warrap State and Jur River in the western state of Bahr el-Ghazal,” he explained.

Duchak said Jur River County was not represented at the meeting but was confident of the peace signed earlier this year between the Apuk of Gogrial East and the Wau community of Warrap.

He said the reported Buoyar rituals were meant to honor those killed at the Manyang border, and not in preparation for attacks on the Abiem.

Ayai confirmed the peace meeting and urged the armed youth to desist from violent acts and instead engage in business.

“The Manyang area is claimed by the Apuk and Wau communities and my Abiem area borders the two areas. Sometimes people were killed along the road by unknown criminals, raising suspicions that the Buoyar were responsible,” he said.