Governor calls on Dinka Ngok and Misseriya to resume ancestral ties
By Ngor Arol Garang
JULY 21, 2009 (ABYEI) – The governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, which borders the contested Abyei region, arrived on Tuesday in Abyei town, one day ahead of the announcement from the Hague of whether Abyei will be part of South Sudan.
Governor Paul Malong Awan landed at the UN Mission in Sudan’s helicopter landing zone, and stated that he called on both Dinka Ngok and Misseriya to resume their ancestral ties.
There is a great need for both Dinka Ngok and the Arab Misseriya to resume their ancestral lives to maintain peace and unity between them, he said.
Dinka Ngok and Arab Misseriya share grazing land and water points, but were embroiled in fierce conflict during Sudan’s lengthy civil war.
Governor Awan also said his government and people of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State support the commitment by the National Congress Party and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
He said peace has more developmental packages to offer communities than war. Therefore, it is in the interest of these two communities to commit themselves to launching an extensive construction and development plan for Abyei, he added.
He continued to say that it is important they embark on reconstruction and developmental initiatives in the area.
Governor Awan, who was accompanied by two state advisors, Pio Tem Kuac Ngor and Akok Bol Madordit, said he is here for either a good or bad celebration of the court ruling tomorrow.
However, he was quick to say that he wishes Abyei’s people celebrate tomorrow’s event as the best celebration. “My message to the local inhabitants is that I come to personally attend the announcement of the ruling tomorrow so that I return with one message to the people of Northern Bahr el Ghazal.”
“I need to hear for myself, not from any third party, in order to tell them,” he said of the message he intends to give to his constituents. “My other message is that Aweil supports peaceful settlement of any conflict,” he said referring his state’s capital, “having done it with the same Misseriya in November 2008 conference at which of some the participants were from here,” he said.
Finally, he requested local authorities to cooperate with the UN in search to implement their mandate. Give UN full access to all areas around Abyei and beyond, he recommended in conclusion.
(ST)
Deng Akec Deng Anguii
A bit of Clarification on Abyei Ruling
The ruling the Permanent Court of Arbitration(PCA) is going to make later today is not whether Abyei is part of the South or North. But whether ABC (Abyei Boundary Commission) has exceeded its mandate of defining the area of 9 (nine) Ngok Dinka chiefdoms which was transferred from South to north in 1905. If the ABC has exceeded its mandate, then the court has to define Abyei boundaries based on the evidence submitted by the parties(NCP & SPLM). If the court finds that the ABC experts did not exceed their mandate, then it will order immediate and full implementation of ABC Reports.
This arbitration ruling is misunderstood by some people including journalists to be a ruling on where Abyei longs, whether to the South or north. Whether Abyei should be part of South or north rests with people of Abyei but that is until about January 2011 when the people of Abyei will excercise their rights of Referandum on where Abyei should be as stipulated in Abyei Protocols. So, this is just a definition of Abyei boundaries and there is more to do to get Abyei transferred back to the South.
The important of this ruling is that either way, that is whether it is in favour of ABC Reports or not, it would be better than the current border which regimes in north defined in their favour. The ruling will force NCP to implement either ABC Reports or the border the court will define. If NCP refuse to implement Arbitration Court ruling as they did with ABC Reports, then the action the people of Abyei and Southern Sudan take is justified.
Anyways, there is more information about Abyei Arbitration Tribunal including the broadcast of the ruling at the following link: http://www.pca-cpa.org/showpage.asp?pag_id=1306
Best regards,
Deng Akec Deng Anguii