UN leadership concerned over potential aftermath of Abyei ruling
July 17, 2009 (WASHINGTON) – UN leaders voiced concern at the volatile security situation in the oil-rich Abyei region ahead of an arbitration ruling meant to settle the boundary dispute between the two dominant parties of the Sudan, the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
A five-member Arbitral Tribunal has been constituted by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague in order to make a ruling on the disputed boundary, in accordance with an arbitration agreement signed between the NCP and SPLM on July 7, 2008.
“The security situation in Abyei remains volatile and requires constant attention in light of the upcoming Permanent Court of Arbitration decision expected by 22 July,” the UN Secretary-General said in a recent report to the Security Council.
Ambassador Ruhakana Rugunda of Uganda, which this month holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, said today after a meeting of the body that the Council Members urged the UN Mission in Sudan to make preparations for protection of civilian populations, “particularly in the Abyei area.”
Both NCP and SPLM have agreed to respect the decision of the Tribunal, whichever way it rules. Idris Mohamed Abdelgadir, State Minister to the Presidency and a senior member of the National Congress Party (NCP), said last month that his party voiced “unequivocal acceptance of the arbitration outcome.”
But as the announcement of the decision approaches, the Ceasefire Joint Military Commission, which is chaired by the UN, has received several recent complaints of ceasefire violations in the Abyei area. According to information passed to the UN Secretary-General for his report to the Security Council on July 14, the Ceasefire Commission received word of intrusions by “mobile and armed Oil Field Protection Police,” a reference to irregular units supplied by the Government of Sudan.
Additionally, Secretary-General Ban reported “the alleged presence of organized militia said to be heavily armed and moving within Misseriya cattle camps” in the southern reaches of the Abyei area.
Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy told reporters today that UNMIS has reinforced its presence in Abyei “to protect the civilians in case of incidents.” Likewise, Mr. Abdelgader, in an interview with Sudan Tribune on June 24, did not dismiss the possibility that inter-communal violence would follow the ruling.
Abyei was discussed at tripartite talks last month in Washington, D.C., among SPLM, NCP and the United States Government. It was agreed that the parties would work together with Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities to prevent spoilers from obstructing the implementation of the PCA’s decision.
Over the past weekend, the legal team of the Government of Sudan made an unsuccessful bid to delay the reading of the arbitration award until August 19-20. In response to letters from GOS and SPLM dated July 13, which both indicated that the two parties had failed to come to agreement on a new date for rendering the award, the Tribunal announced that it would issue the award on July 22, which is the latest dated allowed to the Tribunal based on the Arbitration Agreement.
“Members of the Council welcome the commitment of the parties to respect the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on Abyei and call upon them to implement the decision and communicate that commitment to the respective communities,” said Ambassador Rugunda.
Under-Secretary-General Le Roy, who attended a UN Security Council meeting on Friday, said that one positive indication was a recent visit by the SPLM Chairman Salva Kiir Mayardit to Kadugli, where he explained to the Misseriya that they will still have access to water and grazing areas in Abyei, regardless of the outcome of the ruling.
In a wider context, the Abyei dispute has raised concerns about the parties’ respective disposition toward additional aspects of implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. “Members of the Council expressed their concern at the delay of implementation of some aspects of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, especially in regard to the preparations for the elections and the escalation of inter-communal violence,” said Ambassador Rugunda.
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Ambago
UN leadership concerned over potential aftermath of Abyei ruling
The wave of panic is in the air and can be felt as the UN’s concerns start to rise. However the UN forces in the region should not at any moment underrate the reaction of the Baggara Misseriya tribesmen.
It is true that the Arab nomads were promised the right to graze in Abyei while the final ruling goes either way, but the fact on the ground would turn out that the Misseriya with the help of the NCP and al Sadiq’s and Burma’s Umma party , are prepared to take the law in their hands regardless of which side the ruling goes.
To the locals, the Misseriya had been a headache to all and it has frequently waged tribal wars with the other tribes in the region whether Nuba, Dinka, Fallata or even Rizeigat.
The only language they (Misseriya) understand is the AK- 47 and unless the UN peace – keepers are prepared for a heavy exchange of fire with these nomads, otherwise whatsoever ruling that comes from the International Community remains to be perceived as a bunch of lies and tricks by the infidels to dominate the Arab Muslims.
At this juncture, I remain pessimistic and “the long avoided physical confrontation (DUWAAS) will inevitably happen.
When the UN refers to the protection of the civilians, it should correctly be understood that they are referring to the protection of the Dinka Ngok and the other tribes who happen to be there at the time of the announcement of the ruling, as nobody should be fooled into labelling the Misseriya tribesmen as civilians.
These people (Misseriya) unlike the other tribes in the region with Rizeigat excluded, are in fact a well organized pro-NCP and Umma parties militias. They have been well trained, armed and indoctrinated to hate and carry out wars with all the neighbouring tribes.
This is the fact of the situation and I have said it, but for those who have their own doubts, let them wait and see as things unfold.