UN peacekeepers, Dinka Ngok leaders hold talks on Abyei Article Comments (6) Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Julius N. Uma August 31, 2011 (JUBA) - A Dinka Ngok delegation from the dissolved Abyei administration last week held talks with the commander of the UN forces in the region nearly four months after North Sudan’s army invaded the disputed oil-producing region. FILE - A gunner from Zambia serving with the international peacekeeping operation is seen on an armoured personel carrier (APC) during a patrol in the region of Abyei, central Sudan, in this handout picture released by the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) May 30, 2011 (Reuters) Despite being part of the Kordofan region of North Sudan for over a century, South Sudan claims that the residents of the area, predominantly the Dinka Ngok, are South Sudanese and belong in the newly independent country. A referendum was supposed to decide the fate of Abyei but political disagreements on who could vote stalled the process. Last May the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) took the area by force and dismissed the civilian administration, in response, they say, to an attack by Southern armed groups. In June the two sides agreed the allow Ethiopian peacekeepers under the UN to oversee SAF’s withdrawal and deploy in Abyei. The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has a stronger, Chapter VII, mandate unlike its predecessor the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS). The Dinka Ngok delegation comprised of several former ministers from the now defunct Abyei administration, according to a UNISFA statement, was led by Manio Rund. Also in attendance, it added, were about 60 Dinka Ngok chiefs. During the meeting, which was held in Agok County, Tadesse Warede Tesfay, the UNISFA commander reportedly acknowledged the huge challenges of the peacekeeping mandate, but said he remains optimistic that his eventual 4,200 strong force will amicably resolve the dispute. UNISFA, Tesfay reiterated, has already begun regular and robust patrolling of the Abyei area. He cited an incident where the Ethiopian peacekeepers reportedly saved two Dinka Ngok boys from being shot by SAF, when the duo allegedly entered the Abyei town in pursuit of their missing parents. The current stalemate in the oil-producing region, Tesfay told the leaders, will only be resolved when SAF completely withdraws from Abyei as initially agreed. The head of the UNISFA "expressed his intentions of creating suitable conditions for the return of the IDPs [internally displaced people] of Abyei and providing protection to them even if SAF fails to withdraw in a reasonable timeframe”. On their part, the Ngok Dinka chiefs reportedly expressed deep concerns over the fate of thousands of internally displaced southerners and appealed to the Khartoum government to honor the provisions of the Addis Ababa agreement. “They [Dinka Ngok chiefs] also asked UNISFA to a lay down clear and unambiguous timelines for the return of the IDPs,” the statement adds. The chiefs further urged the northern Sudanese government to fully compensate all southerners who lost their properties in the aftermath of the hostilities that forced them out of their Abyei in May. The peacekeepers’ commander, Sudan Tribune has learned, is scheduled to travel to Khartoum and Juba in the first week of September to discuss the Abyei issue with the leaders of the two countries. South Sudan attained independence on July 9 after its population overwhelmingly opted for separation during a self-determination referendum held early this year. The vote was a key prerequisite of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended over two decades of war between the North and South Sudan. Abyei’s referendum was due to be held simultaneously. The CPA officially ended on July 9, with South Sudan’s secession and with it the end of the UN Mission in Sudan, as Khartoum refused to extend its mandate. The UN was welcomed in Juba, however, with the new UN Mission in South Mission (UNMISS) established shortly after independence, under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. UNMISS has a mandate for one year with the intention to renew it for further periods as required. The mission will reportedly consist of up to 7,000 military personnel, including military liaison officers and staff officers, up to 900 civilian police personnel, including as appropriate formed units, and an appropriate civilian component, including technical, human rights, and investigation expertise. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
