Sudan government declines to fully meet Abyei arbitration costs
By Isaac Vuni
April 6, 2009 (JUBA) – The Government of Sudan has declined to fully meet one million dollars of expenses incurred by SPLM for the arbitration tribunal at The Hague, disclosed Hon. Arop Madut Arop, who hails from Abyei in Warrap State of Southern Sudan.
SPLM and the Government of Sudan are engaged in what is supposed to be the final round of a legal dispute over the Abyei region, following the government’s rejection of the boundary limits set by a panel of experts who had taken their mandate from Sudan’s 2005 peace deal.
Together the Sudanese government and SPLM have agreed to submit their dispute to the judgment of the Abyei Arbitration Tribunal, a five-member body formed under the mandate of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
According to Article 11 of the arbitration agreement signed in Khartoum on July 7, 2008 by Vice President Ali Osman Taha and SPLM Deputy Chairman Riek Machar Teny, the Presidency of the Republic of Sudan is to required to order payment of the cost of arbitration from the federal budget.
Hon. Arop claimed that on December 18, 2008 the government paid only 500,000 dollars advance to enable the arbitration process to begin but when the government realized they are going to lose the case, they started tricks of buying time by only paying 200,000 USD while from the backdoor seeking to persuade the SPLM delegation to settle the dispute outside of the international court.
The lawmaker noted that an SPLM member from Warrap constituency is a member of the SPLM delegations to the Abyei Arbitration Tribunal.
The August House has several times taken the position that the people of Abyei are legitimately part of Warrap state, who could not whatsoever be surrendered to northern Sudan.
The Hague-based tribunal must issue its final decision no later than the end of July of this year.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL
In a separate development, lawmakers have today unanimously passed to the third and final reading the Local Government bill with observations and amendments during the second session sitting numbered 53/2009.
The August House critically analysed the bill that had been presented on March 18 by the minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development.
Dr. Charles Yor terminated the debate with a motion that Commissioners and Councilors should be elected instead being appointed otherwise they would be answerable to their appointee rather than to the people. The motion was a response to some legislators who during the debate had suggested appointing professional commissioners and councilors who could serve in any part of southern Sudan.
Also it was suggested that the minimum population requirement for creating a county should be adjusted from 100,000 to 150,000 while for Payam the population should not be limited to 70,000. Another recommendation was that the Industrial Council be removed because there are no industries in Southern Sudan.
Hon Jimmy Wongo Miji reminded the House that on January 9, President Salva Kiir Mayardit announced establishment of a ministry for decentralization that would deal with local government issues and he wondered why the minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development had not included this, since the president’s declaration should be followed with official documentation in a drafted bill, otherwise the order remains a political statement.
Hon. Caeser Baya Loyalala, deputy chairman of the Legislation and Legal Affairs Committee, approved of the detailed scrutiny of lawmakers and pledged to include their observations for the final presentation of the document.
The debate ended at 5:18 p.m. Sudan local time and there were 106 MPs in attendance under the chairmanship of Speaker James Wani Igga.
(ST)
Akol Liai Mager
Sudan government declines to fully meet Abyei arbitration costs
If this news are true, then SPLM, warrap State and Abyiei people have so many choices to deal with NIF so that its agree to pay Abyiei case’s expenses in full.
The choices SPLM can make include; one, starting the implentation of Abyiei’s ABC report through SSLA & GOSS to make it a legal binding law. Two, ensure NIF does not try to drage its feet on Abyiei’s referendum by creating some excuses to adjourn it. Three, SPLM must lodge a complaint to a body that was formed to watch the implementation of CPA with agreement from both SPLM, NIF, IGAD, IGAD’ Friends & UNSC to look into the matter as soon as possible. Four, SPLM can request an emergency meeting for IGAD head of states to discuss NIF refusal to pay PCA. Five, SPLM must work hard to avoid being dragged on to a military confrontation with NIF as the only NIF favourite card remain so-far. There are other powerful cards SPLM can use against NIF regime to force it pay the money.
On option five, SPLM, Warrap State, Abyiei Ngok with full backing from the people of New Sudan can follow NIF and its allies to whatever their choice only if UNSC fail to force NIF accepting ABC or PCA document/Findings.
If NIF wants to settle the case with SPLM after understanding that they are losing the case, then it must, and without preconditions accept ABC’s Document, take it to the National Parliament, use its mechanical majority plus SPLM parliamentarians to pass the bill and declare Abyiei belonging to Warrap state. Even if NIF do the above mentioned commitment, it must pay the PCA expenses because Hague Court has done 2/3 of its job and deserve full payment so, there is no way to escape the consequences of attempting to claim what’s you obviously know the outcomes as that will not be in your interest, but you insist to go ahead.
Victory to Abyiei Ngok is certainly at their yard.
Samani
Sudan government declines to fully meet Abyei arbitration costs
Here is an idea … since the expenses where incurred by SPLM.
WHY DONT THEY PAY FOR IT !
They want everything done for them.