International community welcomes Abyei ruling urges implementation

July 23, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The international community has welcomed the award of the Abyei Arbitration Tribunal and the commitment of the Sudanese parties to abide by. Also they urged to implement it.

The Hague based arbitration tribunal redefined on Wednesday the boundary of the disputed Abyei area saying that the nine Dinka Ngok chiefdoms belong to southern Sudan and reattached the Heglig oil field to the state of South Kordofan.

The final and binding decision puts an end to a three-year dispute over the region after the rejection of the Sudanese presidency of the findings of Abyei Boundary Commission since July 2005.

The National Congress Party led government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement issued yesterday a joint communiqué saying that “Abyei can be a model for peace, reconciliation and co-existence in Sudan if efforts for development are encouraged and supported in the area.”

In the statement responding to the arbitration, the United States and the European Union jointly called on the National Congress Party and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement to immediately implement the decision.

“Both parties must use their authority and influence to ensure that the Court’s decision is respected and peacefully implemented,” said the statement.

“The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army must avoid confrontation,” said the statement, adding that the United States and the European Union will continue working with “all relevant stakeholders to bring peace, stability, and prosperity to Sudan.”

Also, separately the French and British government hailed the decision as millstone in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

“France calls on both parties, which had agreed to submit their territorial dispute to the Permanent Court and to the formation of the ad hoc Abyei Arbitration Tribunal, to fully implement this decision in the timeliest fashion. They must do everything possible to apply it locally,” said the French foreign ministry.

“The United Kingdom calls on both the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement and the National Congress Party to ensure that the decision is fully implemented in a timely manner, and in a way which does not escalate tensions or cause conflict,” said a statement issued by UK Foreign Office Minister, Lord Malloch-Brown.

In New York, Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General called “on the parties to sustain this positive development by supporting the Abyei Administration to deliver the long-awaited peace dividend to the people of Abyei,” said a statement issued by his spokesperson.

Qin Gang, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry from Beijing praised the award adding “China hoped it would be conducive to the peace process between the north and south and Sudan’s national unity and reconciliation.”

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed his confidence that the parties of Naivasha agreement would implement the binding and final decison honesty and sincerity.

Aboul-Gheit, in his remarks today,added that Abyei ruling would be the start to resolve all outstanding issues between the two parties, in order to contribute to establishing peace not only in southern Sudan, but also in all the country.

(ST)