Abyei citizens express ‘mixed’ reactions to formation of administration
By James Gatdet Dak
August 12, 2008 (JUBA) — Citizens of Abyei in Juba on Monday expressed mixed reactions to the recent appointment of the Chief Administrator of disputed area and his deputy by the Sudanese president.
In a briefing by the Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Riek Machar Teny, who also heads the SPLM Committee on implementation of Abyei Protocol, Abyei intellectuals, youth and women held different views on how the administration was formed, with some rejecting the inclusion of Rahama Abdel-Rahman as Deputy Chief Administrator while others arguing that the Abyei Protocol reached in Naivasha in 2005 calls for inclusiveness in the administration.
Machar’s Abyei Committee membership include Yasser Arman, GoNU Presidential Advisor, Luka Biong Deng, GoSS Minister for Presidential Affairs, Justice Paul Mayom Akech, Minister of Internal Affairs, Justice Michael Makuei Lueth, Minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development and Deng Arop Kuol, Chairperson for Legal Affairs in the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA).
Arop Madut, SPLM member of Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly argued that the formation of the Abyei administration that included NCP’s Rahama, a Messiriya, as Deputy Chief Administer of Abyei amounted to handing over of Abyei to the North. He warned against renegotiation of the CPA.
Machar explained that the Abyei Protocol in the CPA was not specific on how the administration could be proportionally set up. He argued that it was only clear in giving 60% to SPLM and 40% to NCP, but fell short on how to divide the executive seats between the two parties.
Machar argued that it was necessary to form the temporary administration that would be responsible for the development of the area and to repatriate the displaced people of Abyei to their homesteads before the coming elections in 2009.
He further explained that it was the Abyei Roadmap Agreement that was specific in giving the SPLM the position of Chief Administrator while the NCP got the position of the Deputy Chief Administrator.
Machar, however said a Dinka Ngok NCP member could have also occupied the post and not necessarily always non-Dinka Ngok members of the Party.
The Abyei Protocol recognizes both the Nine Dinka Ngok Chiefdoms and other Sudanese residents of Abyei.
The Roadmap agreement also establishes a ‘’Development Fund’ for Abyei in addition to the 2% allocated to the Area per the CPA.
Deng Arop, Chairperson for Legal Affairs in SSLA and citizen of Abyei said the formation of the administration is a very good step forward that will facilitate the return of the people to their areas.
He said those who criticized the agreement did not understand the Abyei Protocol in the CPA and urged them to read and understand it.
Minister Paul Mayom Akech reminded the Abyei community about the incompleteness of the CPA to the SPLM’s favour. “We must understand that we did not win the war through the barrel of the gun, but through a peaceful negotiation on the table in Naivasha … and that Abyei Protocol had some ‘grey’ areas since it was a negotiated agreement,” he argued. “This is a win-win situation,” he added.
“Peaceful negotiations on the table are about ‘give and take’ and you don’t expect the other party to fulfill all your demands a 100%,” added Minister Michael Makuei Lueth who is also member of the SPLM Committee on the Abyei Protocol.
Earlier, Abyei Youth League issued a press statement condemning the inclusion of Rahama in the Abyei Area administration calling it “a shameful administration… and a betrayal to the people of Abyei.”
A UN-based Miraya FM Radio presenter, Adau Kuol Padiet and citizen of Abyei challenged those who criticized the formation of the administration, arguing that it was in accordance with the CPA’s Abyei Protocol. “I have been the presenter of the programme called “Facts on CPA’ and I can tell you that the CPA recognizes both the Dinka Ngok and other Sudanese residents in the area including the Misseiriya as would-be members of the administration and this could be the source of bringing Rahama,” she explained.
Minister Luka Biong Deng, citizen of Abyei and member of the Abyei Committee expressed his appreciation to his senior colleague, Machar for what he described as Machar’s relentless efforts to bring positive change to Abyei Area by successfully leading the Abyei team.
Machar appealed to the citizens of Abyei to support their new Chief Administrator, Arop Moyak and urged them to resettle in the area before the 2009 elections where they would participate in democratic elections to make the SPLM win 100% in the constituencies of Abyei.
(ST)