Tensions are mounting between the Ngok Dinka and Twic Dinka communities in the disputed Abyei area, prompting a warning from the United Nations that the situation risks worsening.

The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has urged restraint following reports that armed youth are being mobilised by both communities in southern Abyei.

The UN peacekeeping mission noted that the situation remains fragile even though relative calm has prevailed since a peace conference between the two communities in April 2025.

“We are deeply concerned about recent heightened tensions,” UNISFA said in a Monday statement, calling on all sides to refrain from actions that could endanger peace and stability in the area.

UNISFA said it has strengthened its presence across southern Abyei and stepped up patrols and engagement with communities to protect civilians and stop the situation from deteriorating further.

The mission also appealed to communities to stop spreading rumours and misinformation that could inflame violence, and urged that grievances be handled through existing peace mechanisms.

The warning follows a two-year conflict between the Ngok Dinka and Twic Dinka that erupted in 2022, resulting in civilian deaths, large-scale displacement and the destruction of property on both sides.

That fighting was driven mainly by disputes over land and territorial control in southern Abyei.

UNISFA called on the communities to prevent a return to violence and to seek a peaceful resolution.

UNISFA was established by the United Nations Security Council in 2011 to monitor and maintain peace in the disputed Abyei region along the Sudan-South Sudan border.

The mission was created after South Sudan’s independence amid ongoing tensions over the oil-rich area claimed by both countries.