South Sudan to support Abyei, calls on international community to assist
By James Gatdet Dak
August 8, 2009 (JUBA) — Southern Sudan Council of Ministers has resolved to increase financial support to the Abyei Area Administration after July 22 ruling on the area’s boundaries by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
The Council called upon the international community to assist the people of Abyei. It also called for an international conference with the aim to solicit support for the region.
In its Friday meeting chaired by the Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny the cabinet resolved and directed the Chief Administrator for Abyei Area to prepare and submit a supplementary budget proposal to the cabinet within a week for approval.
The memo was presented to the Council by the Vice President in the presence of the Abyei Area Chief Administrator, Brigadier General Arop Moyak.
After the meeting, the Secretary General of the government, Abdoun Agaw, explained to the press that a special grant was considered for Abyei to cater for the badly needed basic services in the area.
Agaw said this is also in view of preparing the area for the upcoming elections and referendum.
The cabinet expressed the need to address issues of insecurity in Abyei and encouraged Abyei citizens in the Diaspora, particularly from Northern and Southern Sudan to return to the area and contribute to provision of basic services to the population.
The region is placed under the custody of the Presidency in accordance with the Abyei Protocol in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) until it chooses its political destiny in the 2011 referendum.
However, Abyei Area Chief Administrator, Arop Moyak has expressed concern over reluctance of the Khartoum-based Presidency to release administration’s overdue fiscal budgets for both 2008 and 2009.
Moyak said his administration has received only two million Sudanese pounds since mid 2008. This was after the establishment of the administration per the June 8, 2008 Abyei Roadmap agreement that temporarily resolved nearly three years of disputes over the area between the National Congress Party and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement.
The Chief Administrator further said that his team’s several attempts to secure the release of budgets by the Presidency had born no fruits.
He appreciated the firm support accorded to the people and administration of Abyei Area by the Government of Southern Sudan.
(ST)
Kur
South Sudan to support Abyei, calls on international community to assist
The Government of South Sudan must take execlusive responsibility of Abyei. This stupid presidency will not help Abyei with anything. All they need is oil to enrich themselves without thinking of those who live on the land. I do not think of any help coming from Bashir’s office to assist the people of Abyei. Therefore the people of Abyei must know that the so-called GNU is against them from the very beginning and should not waste their time thinking about the help coming from Khartoum. The Government in Khartoum now is not a government of national unity but the government of national destruction. Hence, Juba must move quickly to rescue Abyei from the difficult situation our people are facing there.
Kur