Interim rule proposal for disputed Sudan oil region of Abyei

August 10, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Former south Sudan rebels have proposed a temporary administration and new borders for the disputed oil-rich Abyei region to break a deadlock which threatens to derail a landmark north-south peace deal.

Pagan Amum, secretary general of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), also left the door open for international arbitration should his party fail to agree on a final settlement with their partners in peace, the dominant northern National Congress Party (NCP).

“The SPLM is presenting a new proposal to establish an interim administration for Abyei for a period of six months with a definite border based on fresh documents demarcating the area of Abyei,” Amum told Reuters on Friday.

Besides control of oil fields, demarcation of the Abyei border is crucial for a census expected next year, elections due in 2009 and a referendum planned for 2011 to determine if the south wants to secede or remain united with the north.

Under the January 2005 deal an independent commission marked borders for the central area, but the NCP rejected it.

Amum said the SPLM was now proposing borders based on a pre-independence document and from three other documents; one drawn up in 1974, another in 1977 and the third in 1995.

“These are documents that clearly define the area of Abyei in different times,” said Amum.

“We are proposing that the administration will be established by people from the area. The administrator will be from Abyei and five assistants. They will be under the presidency,” said Amum.

He said composition of the administration would reflect quotas set for the SPLM and NCP under the 2005 deal.

Sudan’s north-south peace deal ended Africa’s longest civil war which claimed 2 million lives and drove more than 4 million from their homes.

But the SPLM accuses the NCP of stalling implementation of key elements in the agreement, including the protocol on the Abyei region and demarcation of the north-south border.

Amum said of the NCP rejection of the Abyei commission report: “The only reason that we see behind this shameful and unreasonable position is narrow material interests in the oil revenues that the National Congress does not want to share.”

He said the NCP had yet to respond to the proposal, which would give the two parties time to reach a final solution.

“If we are not able to have a break through, the two parties have agreed to go for arbitration,” said Amum.

“And I believe that the United States of America will be the first arbitrator that we would go to,” he added.

(Reuters)