Southern political party urges to implement Abyei ruling

By Ngor Arol Garang

July 28, 2008 (ABYEI) — A Southern Sudan Political party urged both the dominant National Congress (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) not to renege their promises to implement the arbitration court ruling on Abyei.

“Making promises without implementation does not mean commitment to resolving differences but an exaggeration of suffering itself,” says Dr. Toby Madut Parek of Sudan African National Union (SANU).

Speaking by phone from Juba, Dr. Toby stated that he was impressed by the promises being made by the two parties prior to announcement of the ruling.

Prior and after the ruling of the Abyei Arbitration Tribunal on July 22 both the NCP and the SPLM reiterated their commitment to implement an award that define the nine chiedoms of Dinka Ngok over the disputed Abyei.

However the court stated that Heglig oil fields in eastern Abyei are not part of the Dinka chiefdoms, also it confirmed the finding of Abyei Boundary Commission that allotting the northern Abyei area to the Dinka Ngok.

Since, the southern Sudan government says it would contest the issue on the level of north south border demarcation committee arguing that Heglig belongs to Unity state while the Misseriya protest and blame the NCP saying Khartoum betrayed them to obtain oil fields.

“They were speaking the same voice to honor the ruling and to accept it as final and binding. However, following the ruling, and yet parties still affirms their commitment to the ruling, the issue of Heglig these days dominates most media headlines prompting Sudanese to doubt commitments of the two parties to implement the ruling,” he said.

Parek said he wanted the two parties to stick to their promises and stop conflicting interviews with the media. NCP and SPLM who sleep in the same presidential palace therefore, “I do not see any reason why they should not sit down together to brief themselves about the ruling and come out with one decision of how and when to implement the verdict,” he adds.

He also asked both Messeriya and Dinka Ngok to assist international border demarcation technical committee in the implementation.

Asked whether he expects military confrontation during implementation, He said “when people have lived together for years and now want to stay far apart, there is a way such separation is done in my village.”

These people (Messeriya) “need to be properly lectured” about the ruling and why they are to leave, you cannot just go and tell them to leave within three days, if this happen, it is likely that there would be resistance, he said.

He continued to say all the government needs to consider doing now. “If it is committed to her promise it has to increase publicity campaign on Abyei border demarcation telling involved parties and the public what it means and why it is done.”

However, despite being skeptical, Parek said he still hope international community would push the parties to keep their promises.

(ST)