Peacekeepers assess damages caused by an armed attack on a village in Abyei, Jan 22, 2020. Attacks on civilians have persisted despite the presence of the UN Interim Security Forces for Abyei Area | Credit | Resident

One person has died and four others injured in a road ambush in Abyei Administrative Area.

A passenger vehicle traveling along the Amiet-Abyei town road was attacked by suspected Messiriya armed men on Sunday.

According to the Deputy Chief Administrator of Abyei area, Kon Manyieth, one woman, one girl and 2 men were wounded in the attack.

He revealed that the driver of the Toyota Landcruiser identified as 40-year-old Kuol Thuotdit was killed by the attackers.

“He was threatened to stop but he did not. So they fired at him, killing him instantly,” Kon told Eye Radio.

Kon says the UN forces in Abyei are investigating the incident.

Attacks on civilians have persisted despite the presence of the UN Interim Security Forces for Abyei Area.

Since 2005, the Abyei area has remained a contested region between South Sudan and Sudan.

In early 2020, the undersecretary of the UN Peacekeeping Operations called on South Sudan and Sudan to use their new-found cordial bilateral relations to resolve the status of the Abyei region.