Ceasefire body makes emergency resolutions ahead of Abyei ruling

July 20, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – In an emergency session on Monday, an organ of the Sudanese presidency known as the Ceasefire Political Commission resolved to undertake a visit to Abyei as soon as possible following the Abyei boundary ruling to be made Wednesday by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague.

The Ceasefire Political Committee is a high-level contact point between the dominant northern and southern political parties, the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). This emergency meeting was convened just two days ahead of the decision to be announced Wednesday by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague over whether the oil-rich Abyei region will become part of North Sudan or the South.

The Ceasefire Political Commission is the highest ceasefire mechanism in the country’s 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and its subsidiary is the UN-chaired Ceasefire Joint Military Committee (CJMC).

A document of resolutions passed at the emergency session refers to trilateral talks held recently in Washington, D.C. among the United States, NCP and SPLM. “The meeting fully adopted the Joint Plan drawn by the NCP/SPLM within the trilateral talks. The plan is meant to take all necessary steps and arrangements to fully implement the outcome of the PCA with respect to Abyei in full compliance with the CPA,” states an official version.

Five resolutions were adopted by the Ceasefire Political Commission (CPC) at the recommendation of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Sudan, Ashraf Qazi.

First, the CPC resolves to adopt a joint statement on the situation in Abyei, “with the key message that the ceasefire must be upheld by the parties under all circumstances.”

Second, the CPC resolves “to undertake a joint visit to Abyei as soon as possible following the PCA decision, to reassure the local communities that the CPA parties are committed to peace.”

Third, the CPC resolves to address implementation of the arbitral tribunal’s forthcoming decision. The resolution cites specific bodies whose respective roles the CPC resolves to clarify, including the Ceasefire Joint Military Commission, Abyei Administration, Area Joint Military Committee, Sudan Armed Forces, SPLA and Joint Integrated Units and police.

Fourth, the CPC resolves to closely monitor the situation.

Fifth, the CPC resolves to grant full access to the UN Mission in Sudan “to be able to effectively discharge its mandate in accordance with the Abyei Roadmap and the CPA.”

In an unsigned English-language version of the document obtained by Sudan Tribune, the signature lines were reserved for co-chairs George Nyombe for SPLM and Idris Abdelgadir for NCP. The latter was the deputy head of the NCP’s delegation in June 2009 to Washington, D.C., where Abyei was prominent on the agenda.

(ST)