Citizens of Abyei Administrative Area gathered in Juba to appreciate President Salva Kiir for firing Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin for referring to them as foreigners.
The citizens under the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee or AJOC Office in Juba remind President Kiir’s government to recognize their 2013 unilateral referendum vote for joining South Sudan.
Nyankuac Ngor, the Deputy Chairperson of AJOC says the people of Abyei assembled on Friday to educate themselves of disappointing statement referring to them as Sudanese and what followed.
Dolhol Nyuol Mayot, a member of Abyei community says the document signed by Dr Marial was annoying and shameful.
Abyei citizens are pure South Sudanese, he argues.
Nyuol calls on President Kiir’s administration to speed up a process to accept Abyei’s October 2013 referendum results of 99 percent vote to join South Sudan.
The citizens of Abyei recognize the stand of President Kiir and the South Sudanese people with them amidst their disappointment.
Dr Marial has since denied having made the statement attributed to him.
He says in earlier press conference that he knows the nine Dinka Ngok chiefdom of Abyei is purely South Sudanese.