The streets of Abyei are teeming with street children, who come to the area from far-away villages in search of work.

Jal Longar Tong, a 13 year-old Twic Dinka from Mayen Abun in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, walked for two days before reaching the town two months ago.

He will return to his village in May when the fishing season resumes, but now he is working for one of the roadside tea sellers. Jal grinds coffee beans with a mortar and pestle, earning about five Sudanese pounds a day.

Others, failing to find work, resort to petty crime. Or they rebel at their paltry wages and seek ways of increasing their income by stealing. And in tension filled Abyei, even small crimes can spiral out of control.

"The children need food and a place to stay, so they will steal from the northern traders in the market…it's a potential source of conflict," says Arop Kual Kual, the Dinka Ngok Chief from Romamair.

The situation in Abyei has been particularly tense since late December, when a series of battles erupted between the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the nomadic Misseriyas, leaving an unknown number dead.

Community leaders fear that petty theft in the market could easily escalate into dangerous battles, if a trader lashes out at one of the street children. In collaboration with UNMIS Child Protection and the non-governmental organization Save the Children, they are planning to build a reception and training center for children coming into Abyei.

The center will provide food, housing and vocational training, while reducing a potential source of conflict.