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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Wed Feb 02 2011 - 09:13:00 EST
<http://allafrica.com/sudan/> Sudan: SPLM Says Abyei Cannot Be Left As Part
of the North
2 Febrary 2011
_____
Juba - An official from south Sudan's ruling party said Monday that there is
"no way" the disputed border region of Abyei could be left as part of north
Sudan. Bol Makueng, described citizens of Abyei as part of the South and
that there was no reason to leave them as part of the north under any
circumstances.
Sudan's south is due to separate from the north after successfully
completing a self determination referendum. After decades of war, the south
was granted the right to secede in a 2005 peace deal between former southern
rebels the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and Sudan's ruling
National Congress Party (NCP).
A parallel referendum was due to be held in Abyei, to decide the future of
the fertile oil-producing region. However, the vote did not take place as
the SPLM refused to accept the NCP's demand that the Misseriya tribe, who
enter the region to graze their cattle for a few months of the year, be
allowed to vote.
The SPLM maintain that the Dinka Ngok tribe are native to the area and are
the only group who should be allowed to vote in the Abyei referendum. The
Dinka Ngoka are a branch of southern Sudan's largest ethnic group, the
Dinka, and largely identify themselves as southerners despite Abyei
physically being in northern Sudan.
Under the Abyei Protocol of the 2005 peace agreement, gave the region the
opportunity to annex itself to the south from where it was transferred from
South Kordofan state in 1905 by British administrators.
Makueng told Sudan Tribune: "Liberation is won. The citizens of Abyei are
pure south Sudanese by identity. There is no question about that. They are
part and parcel of south Sudan and the liberation struggle. They went to the
war twice with the people of south Sudan because of Abyei. So, there is no
way we can leave behind [Abyei] in the north comes what may."
While in Abyei January, Sudan Tribune observed that many people were heavily
armed. Some villages are largely deserted due to conflict. In the run up to
south's referendum on January 9, armed Misseriya clashed with Abyei security
forces, resulted in over 30 deaths. The conflict was triggered, according to
some Misseriya leaders, because they had heard that the region was planning
on conducting a unilateral referendum to enable it join what will be a
newly-independent south Sudan.
"There are no civilians in this area," said John Ajang, the acting secretary
general of Abyei's local government in an interview with Sudan Tribune on 15
January.
He accused the Missiriyia of creating road blocks and attacking buses
travelling from the north to the south carrying internally displaced
persons.
"Commercial trucks with good and vehicles carrying our internally displaced
persons coming home through Misseriya areas are routinely sprayed with
gunfire. Several passengers have been killed. Roads are closed," said Ajang.
United Nations officials in Abyei who did not want to be named, as they had
not been authorized to speak to the media, on Sunday described the security
situation to be relatively calm.
One UN official told Sudan Tribune: "At the movement, the security situation
is relatively come. The new Joint Integrated Units from Wau are moving into
the area. There have been no immediate security concerns during the last two
weeks at the border areas." Joint Integrated Units, established after the
peace deal, consist of both the southern army (SPLA) and the Sudan Armed
Forces (SAF) controlled by Khartoum.
The UN official said that they have reports from a patrol force that a large
crowd of armed men with assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and
machetes, amassed north of Abyei town in Difra on Friday. But he said the
patrol were not permitted to meet the group.
Talks over the emotionally charged future of the border region have failed
to establish a commission to run the Abyei referendum and neither party
appears willing to change their position on who can vote. Many in Abyei
fears that the referendum in the region will not take place.
Analysts say that conflict in the region could trigger renewed hostilities
between the north and south if the status of Abyei and the rights of the
Misseriya to enter the region are agreed at a local and national politcal
level.
<http://allafrica.com/sudan/> Sudan: South Welcomes NCP's Acceptance of
Referendum Results
Ngor Arol Garang
2 February 2011
_____
Juba - A leading official from the semi-autonomous regional government of
South Sudan on Tuesday welcomed acceptance of the Sudan's ruling National
Congress Party (NCP) to recognize the overwhelming vote in favor of
independence, in January's referendum.
Final results are due to be announcement in the course of the next two
weeks.
Sudan conducted a weeklong referendum exercise on the right to self
determination for the people of south Sudan to decide whether to remain part
of the united Sudan or opt to be become Africa's 54th nation. The plebiscite
ended on 15 January.
The South Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) on Sunday announced results
which showed that 98.83 percent of southern Sudanese voted overwhelmingly in
favor of the region's separation and only 1.17 percent voted for unity.
The final results of the referendum are expected to be announced on February
7 in case that there are no appeals. If there are appeals against the
process the final results will be made in Khartoum on February 14.
There will be a transitional period until July 9 to pave the way for the
separation of south Sudan.
Sudanese Vice-President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha on Monday announced that the
Sudanese government accepted the referendum results.
"We declare our acceptance of the referendum's preliminary results which
were announced yesterday by the referendum commission and we will directly
embark on the arrangements which will follow this phase," said Taha at a
press conference broadcasted live on Sudanese Television on Monday.
"We hope this positive spirit, which characterized all stages of the
referendum process, would lead to containing tensions that could surround
some of the outstanding issues," he added.
Taha further reiterated continuation of cooperation and coordination between
north and south Sudan, saying that "the separation, even if it has its
constitutional and political consequences, the relation and common interests
will remain standing and will not cease."
The Sudanese vice-president stressed that north and south Sudan were willing
to find a political settlement for the border region of Abyei issue and
prevent any unilateral solutions.
Abyei was due to hold a simultaneous referendum to south to decide whether
the oil-producing will remain in the north or join the south. The vote did
not take place due to disagreement over who could take part.
Vice President Taha said: "We have agreed that the current administrative,
political and security arrangements at Abyei would continue."
"It has also been agreed that joint forces would be dispatched in Abyei,
besides removing the south Sudan police forces which recently entered the
area and that the Abyei administration would remain until a political
agreement is reached."
Taha, also said that the north and the south have agreed to exclude the
option of double nationality the people of Abyei, saying that "each state
will have the right to issue a law organizing the nationality and how it
could be obtained and to avoid having persons with no legal identification
documents."
"We have agreed that there would be flexibility regarding presence of
northerners in the south and vice versa and to protect them and their
properties until their status is adjusted. There are many arrangements
needed to be made to adjust the conditions of the employees at the public
service and the regular forces," he said.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, minister of
information and broadcasting in the government of south Sudan said he
welcomed the statement made by Vice President Taha describing it as only
means through which peace can be achieved in Sudan.
"On behalf of the government of south Sudan, I welcome the statement made by
Vice president Ali Osman Mohammed Taha. Respecting the will of people of
south Sudan by recognizing their choice is the only way through which the
peace can be achieved in Sudan", said minister Marial.
The minister also praised President Omar Hassan al-Bashir with his first
Vice president Salva Kiir Mayardit for their courage and determination in
allowing the referendum to go ahead.
"It takes courage to do the right thing. President Bashir and President Kiir
are great leaders. They have shown the whole world that they can overcome
challenges. Their courage to allow conduct of the referendum was not just a
bold thought but a heroic decision to bring peace. They are champions and we
must stand by them to resolve the other remaining issues," said Marial.
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