Bashir urges Abyei chief administrator to promote peace in the region

By Ngor Arol Garang

January 14, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – President Omer Hassan Al Bashir has urged Abyei’s newly appointed chief administrator, Deng Arop Kuol, to immediately embark on initiatives prioritizing promotion of security, stability and peaceful coexistence through reconciliation in the region.

President Bashir, who, on Tuesday 12, witnessed swearing in of the new chief administrator with Deputy Rahma Abdurrahman Al-Nur on NCP ticket, also called for harmony within the cabinet for better services delivery to local population.

He also said chances of winning peace and stability in the region are possible suggesting introduction of viable initiatives to encouraging confidence in peace building as one of the alternatives bringing together societies shattered by 21 years of war.

Despite the rule of the Arbitration court in The Hague ending a dispute between the Dinka Ngok and the Messeriya tribe over the territory of nine Dinka Ngok chiefdoms, the nomad chiefs urged President Bashir to not sign Abyei referendum act warning they will not allow the implementation of the law if signed in its current form and will hinder the demarcation process of the Abyei geographical boundary.

They said that the tribe was not mentioned by name in the law to vote in the Abyei referendum together with Dinka Ngok.

Last week Deng Arop Kuol, the new chief administrator, days leading to his swearing, said will do anything possible while in office during his three months term.

Such initiative requires more attention from government officials, civil society and community activists. They need to come up with possible alternatives focusing on the rights and needs of the local ordinary people and address it, he said.

“Our people must be encouraged to move away from culture of violence to culture of peace and recovery,” he said adding that there is a profound need to identify root causes of problems and issues contributed to the rising of these differences.

Kuol Nyok Kuol, an executive director of an indigenous organization called Abyei Community for Development (ACAD) said promotion of peace and stability needs great involvement of local population.

People ownership of the process facilitates quicker understanding making it possible for strong and lasting peace, he said adding this need brainstorming in workshops which become sources of training for better community policing.

He further stated that local people need to be engaged and be part of the solutions. Victims have a right to reparation for all looted and burned properties during clash between the two forces belonging to parties in partnership in the current government of national unity, he said.

(ST)