Abyei and Western Bahr el Ghazal state sign MoU
June 8, 2015 (WAU) – Abyei Administration Area (AAA) and Western Bahr el Ghazal state on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in the experience sharing of institutional set ups and capacity building for the displaced officials of Abyei region.
The cooperation agreement was for Western Bahr el Ghazal state to share experience with Abyei on its government clusters of governance, services and economy. For instance, Western Bahr el Ghazal state’s ministry of information will support Abyei area in capacity building in different media, radio, TV and training on journalism reporting.
The cluster service also agreed to share on the level of health policy and tentative work plan and job descriptions including training opportunities, clinical officers’ registration midwifery and many others.
The ministry of education on its part will be sharing information with Abyei administration the ministry’s structure at the level of counties [districts] and payam [sub-district] levels as well as establishing of national technical secondary schools and boarding schools in the region.
Meanwhile the commission of art in Western Bahr el Ghazal state will be giving training in sports to talented young people from Abyei in the areas of drama, music, folklore culture collection, fine arts, organizing festival and planning and preserving culture artifacts, historical and burial sites.
“Wau Centre for music and culture will be ready to admit candidates from Abyei Administration Area for music training of six months in the areas of guitar, key board, drama, music and other arts technical needs,” the agreement stated.
Western Bahr el Ghazal state ministry of Finance will also help to train finance officials from Abyei in financial administration including revenue collection and revenue authority act, tax and non-tax operating schedule.
The AAA is a body controlled by the Ngok Dinka political leaders close to the SPLM but it is leader Edward Lino joined the opposition faction led by the former vice-president Riek Machar.
Sudan and South Sudan failed to agree on who is eligible to participate in a referendum to determine the future of the disputed area. Khartoum and Juba also didn’t agree on joint administrative institution despite an agreement signed in June 2011.
(ST)