South Sudan ruling party assigns Dutch firm for Abyei tribunal
July 4, 2008 (JUBA) – The southern Sudan ruling party announced today that it had chosen a Dutch legal firm to represent its interests in The Hague arbitration tribunal which is designated to settle difference over Abyei.
In a press release issued yesterday in Juba, the Sudan people’s Liberation Movement appointed the Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG) to represent it in the International Court of Arbitration that is designated to settle the dispute over who controls the oil-rich district.
The PILPG, a 2005 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, is a non-profit organization, which operates as a global pro bono law firm providing free legal assistance to states and governments involved in conflicts.
According to the roadmap for the implementation of Abyei protocol the international arbitration court is supposed to settle the NCP-SPLM dispute over the finding of the Abyei Boundaries Commission.
The road map also calls for The Hague’s tribunal to decide whether or not the Abyei boundary commission exceeded its mandate in its 2005 ruling.
“The entire arbitration process including the issuance of the final award shall be done within a period not exceeding six months from the date of the formation of the arbitration tribunal, and subject to an extension for a period not exceeding three months,” the roadmap stated.
(ST)