Deng Arop Kuol, the chief administrator of the Abyei region, said Wednesday he also fears more attacks in the weeks leading up to Southern Sudan’s independence in July.

The south overwhelmingly voted in January to secede from the north, but the future of Abyei remains uncertain. Aid groups and analysts warn the dispute over the area threatens relations between north and south.

Kuol said that a northern Sudanese army convoy was stopped at a police checkpoint Sunday when it was attempting to move through the Abyei area without permission from his government. He said at least 12 were killed in the fighting.