Sudan’s political crisis delaying final status of Abyei: official

May 9, 2022 (JUBA) – The political crisis in Sudan is delaying efforts to settle final status of the disputed region of Abyei, a South Sudanese official said.

Tut Gatluak Manime, the presidential adviser on security affairs said Abyei was one of the issues to be resolved by the leaders of the two countries.

He said positive momentum was picking up following reciprocal visits of both country’s leaders as well as support for each other’s peace processes.

“Our relations with Sudan are good and this has provided an environment to discuss and find a lasting solution to the status of Abyei. His Excellency the president looks forward to resuming the talk on Abyei with his brother Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan soon. It is one of the top priorities of his agenda. What has delayed the resumption of the talk is the current political situation in Sudan,” Manime told Sudan Tribune.

He added, “You know when brothers are having an important issue before them, you let them finish first so that they are able to give you full attention after they finished what had drawn their attention”.

President Salva Kiir, according to his advisor, continues to work with the African Union for immediate resumption of direct talks between Sudan and South Sudan in order to resolve the final status of Abyei, among other issues.

In September 2019, Kiir and former Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok met in the capital, Juba to find a solution on final status of Abyei region.

That meeting tackled a wide range of issues that remain unresolved between the two countries, including oil arrangements. The talks proposed the opening of additional border crossing points, the redeployment of forces from the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone, and the full deployment of the monitoring mechanism.

(ST)