Sudan urges African Union to press Juba over Abyei’s administration
Article
Comments (9)
email Email
print Print
pdfSave
separation
increase
decrease
separation
separation
facebook
myspace
twitter
buzzyahoo
June 5, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan reiterated the need to establish local
institutions in the disputed area of Abyei, and urged the African
Union to press Juba on this issue.
JPEG - 30.3 kb
FILE - People from the Misseriya tribe of the Abyei oil region protest
against the proposal of African Union (AU) mediator former South
African president Thabko Mbeki for a referendum to decide whether the
region belonged to Sudan or South Sudan, outside the United Nations
(U.N.) and AU headquarters in Khartoum November 28, 2012. (Reuters/
Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
Al-Khair Al-Fahim, co-chair of Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC)
for the Sudanese side, told the Sudanese Media Service, a
semi-official agency, on Friday that he demanded the African Union
envoy to Sudan and South Sudan to put pressures on the latter to
resume talks on Abyei interim administration.
During a recent meeting held in Khartoum, Al-Falim insisted on the
need to form Abyei Police Service (APS), the administration and the
legislative council particularly after the increase of tensions
between the Dinka Ngok and the Misseriya as result of the killing of
the Ngok paramount chief Kuol Deng Kuol earlier last May.
Delegations from the two countries met for the last time on 22-24 May
but failed to make any progress on Abyei institutions. Regarding the
police, the AJOC had to meet on 6 June to discuss the issue but the
meeting was adjourned sine die.
The Ngok refuse the implementation of an agreement reached on 20 June
2011 to establish an interim administration in Abyei unless Khartoum
accepts to hold a referendum proposed by the African Union mediation
next October. Sudanese government rejects this process because it
excludes the Misseriya pastoralists from participating in the vote.
South Sudanese minister of cabinet affairs Deng Alor Kuol, who is also
a dignitary of the contested area, told the parliament in Juba on 28
May that without a referendum the Dinka Ngok refuses to form the
interim administration and other bodies.
The establishment of the joint administration is also hindered by the
difference of the two sides over their representation at the Abyei
Legislative Council. Khartoum refusal to allocate 60% (12) of the
seats of the llegislative body to South Sudan as it was the case
during the interim period and demands 50% (10) of the 20 seats.
South Sudan following the death of Abyei paramount chief showed some
frustration with the position of the African Union which mediates the
conflict. President Salva Kiir on 12 June said the regional body
failed to impose its own recommendations in Abyei, in a reference to
the referendum proposal.
The Small Arms Survey, in a recent update released on 3 July, said
that the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is
on high alert and carry out around 90 patrol per day, pointing out it
would be difficult to maintain such intensity during the rainy season.
Khartoum, on the other hand, speaks about activities of Sudanese rebel
groups in Abyei and says they cross from South Sudan to Abyei before
to enter in South Kordofan.
Following an attack a pipeline near Ajaja station, 62 km east of
Diffra oil fields, the Sudanese army was keen to say that the area of
the attack is under the protection of UNISFA peacekeepers and accused
Justice and Equality Movement of the attack. It added that the rebels
crossed from Unity state, implying the involvement of South Sudan in
the attack.
The rebel group denied the responsibility of the attack and Juba said
there is no Sudanese rebels in Unity state. However, the attack adds
another factor of insecurity and tension in the disputed area.
(ST)
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"South Sudan Info - The Kob" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to [email protected].
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To view this discussion on the web visit
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14oq8mhbkPXXhnHW6Q%3DinhdYcgaeCA9ERfkBv7sszZyJ3gA%40mail.gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
