Sudan’s joint units to deploy Monday in disputed Abyei

June 15, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — New joint north-south units will begin deploying on Monday in Sudan’s disputed region of Abyei according to a roadmap to end the three year row over the definition of Abyei border.

The two partners of the national unity government signed on June 8 an agreement to end violence which has killed dozens and forced up to 50,000 people from their homes.

The battalion, made up of 320 troops from the southern army, known as the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, and 319 from the northern Sudan Armed Forces, will train for 10 days before starting patrols, its commander Valentino Tokmac said.

“We will start taking the forces … of the battalion from tomorrow onwards,” Tokmac told Reuters. “All the forces of the joint integrated unit will be fully in Abyei by June 18.”

Violence in Abyei started last December with clashes between the SPLA and Misseirya militiamen but last May heavy fighting erupted between elements from the SAF and the SPLA in the town. The last week deal the parties agreed to replace northern and southern troops with new Joint Integrated Units.

“These are fresh soldiers, there will be no problem,” between the former foes, he said. “I’m sure they will work together.” the SPLA colonel Tokmac , told the AFP.

The NCp and the SPLM agreed to seek internation arbitration. Bashir and Kiir said they would decide in one month on which global body would help them reach agreement over the boundaries and other fundamental issues.

Abyei’s borders were left undefined in the 2005 peace deal that ended two decades of north-south war. The the parties charged an international commission with definition of the area due to their failure to agree upon the issue.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and AFP