ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia condemned the murder of an Ethiopian peacekeeper and a tribal leader in the volatile Abyei region. The region is contested by both Sudan and South Sudan and peacekeepers are on the ground in an effort to ensure violence doesn't spark. The Ethiopian peacekeeper and the paramount chief of the Ngok Dinka, Kuol Deng Kuol, were killed on Saturday after the a convoy they were traveling in under the escort of the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA) was ambushed by members of the rival nomadic Arab Misseriya tribe. Two other peacekeepers were also seriously wounded in the attack, with one of the injured soldiers later passing away. “The Ethiopian government condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the murders and attacks targeting Ethiopian peacekeepers", Dina Mufti, spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs, told Sudan Tribune. Mufti said the unfortunate incident should not jeopardize the recent agreements signed between Juba and Khartoum, particularly on the resumption of oil exports. There are over currently 4,000 Ethiopian peacekeepers deployed in the flashpoint border zone between Sudan and South Sudan, where they are tasked with monitoring peace and operations for demilitarization. The senior government official underlined that the incident would not prevent Ethiopian peacekeepers from carrying out their mission in the region, affirming that Ethiopia will continue to act as a credible partner for both Sudan and South Sudan. BN
