Sudan says certain circles trying to escalate Abyei issue

[Elisabeth Janaina]

Sudan says certain circles trying to escalate Abyei issue

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June 4, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP)
has accused unspecified parties of seeking to escalate the situation
in the disputed Abyei border region by creating a climate which
suggests the failure of Khartoum and Juba to arrive at an agreed
solution and hence pave the way for international intervention.

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Smoke rising from burning homes in the center of Abyei town, May 11, 2011 (UN)

The head of the NCP’s organizational communication, Hamid Sideeg, who
spoke to reporters yesterday, urged international partners to abide by
the Abyei protocol which they have signed and deposited into the
United Nations (UN), the African (AU) Union, and the Arab League (AL).

The NCP official stressed that international partners should respect
the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and pointed that his
party is committed to a solution based on the Abyei protocol warning
that an escalation would hurt both parties.

Sideeg further said that Abyei issue is not only confined to the Arab
Misseriya tribe, but is of interest to all Sudanese people who must
participate in its development and support all its residents
describing it as a “nation’s issue”.

As part of the CPA, residents of Abyei had been scheduled to hold a
referendum on the status of the fertile, oil-producing area in January
2011, but Khartoum’s demand that the Misseriya nomads, who enter the
region for part of the year seeking pasture for their cattle, also be
allowed to participate has led to a stalemate over the emotive issue.

The AU has proposed that the plebiscite take place in October but with
only permanent residents permitted to vote, effectively excluding the
Misseriya from participating.

This has been rejected by the Khartoum as the Southern-aligned Ngok
Dinka would be expected to overwhelmingly vote in favour of returning
Abyei to South Sudan.

Tensions in Abyei escalated last month after the killing of Dinka Ngok
paramount chief Kuol Deng Kuol.

Kuol,was killed during following a standoff that lasted for several
hours with armed members of the Misseriya who claimed that the Dinka
Ngok chief was passing through their land without permission.

South Sudan accused Khartoum of standing behind the killing and filed
a complaint with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in this
regard.

(ST)