Juba downplays Abyei’s participation in Sudan elections
September 11, 2014 (JUBA) – The government of South Sudan has downplayed Sudan’s inclusion of Abyei in its 2015 election plan, saying it contravenes the status of the disputed oil-producing region.
Abyei is one of the contentious items in the negotiations between Khartoum and Juba despite the formation of a joint administration of the region until the case is resolved.
“The issue of Abyei remains one of the issues the two countries have not yet resolved and so conducting elections in the area without the approval one of the parties contravenes the status of the region,” Magok Rundial, speaker of South Sudan’s parliament said Thursday.
The presidential spokesperson, Ateny Wek Ateny separately said the Abyei issue was between the two countries’ leaders and that it would be “unwise” for the Sudanese government to include the region in its elections without properly defining the region’s status.
“The relations between Sudan and South Sudan are bilateral and mutual in nature, which means that neither Juba nor Khartoum can take a unilateral decision. Abyei, as you know, is predominantly Dinka Ngok and they have voted unanimously at the community referendum to join the republic of South Sudan,” Ateny told Sudan Tribune.
He said the Juba government did not endorse this unilateral decision because it respect the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which forms the basis of other agreements that allow the two parties to agree on the modalities to settle the dispute.
“So it would be unwise for the government of Sudan to unilaterally include Abyei as one of the constituencies to participate in the elections, unless it is planning to settle Misseriya to form the constituencies that would vote in the elections,” Ateny remarked.
He added, “If this is the plan; I think the Dinka Ngok will not accept”.
Meanwhile Mario Kuol, the current head of South Sudan Abyei sponsored administration area said the region would not participate in Sudan’s elections having already voted to be part of South Sudan.
In May last year, the Ngok Dinka residents from Abyei organised unilaterally a referendum where 99% of the participants voted to join South Sudan, according to the committee that organised the unofficial vote.
“What they are saying in Khartoum has no relevance in Abyei. May be they are talks of another Abyei because they have already an administration in the name of Abyei in Muglad, which is a just a project for some people in the government of Sudan to get money,” Kuol exclusively told Sudan Tribune on Thursday.
“They [Sudan government] have no business with us in Abyei. Our people have already voted at the referendum to join the republic of South Sudan, so why participate again in the elections planned to be conducted in another country”, he stressed.
Sudan is preparing to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in April 2015, despite demands by major political forces that they be postponed, but the government rejects this call saying it will lead to constitutional vacuum.
However, the electoral process can be postponed if the ruling party reach an agreement with the opposition and rebel groups on the national dialogue and the formation of a transitional government to implement its outcome.
(ST)
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