Area joint military committee in Abyei calls for accessibility to borderlines
July 6, 2010, (ABYEI) — The Area Joint Military Committee (AJMC) in the North-South contested border town of Abyei has called for accessibility to the borderlines, saying the body faces myriad of restrictive and procedural steps to maintaining security information.
AJMC is composed of military body with equal representation mandated by the two parties to monitor military activities between the two sides in the area.
The committee works closely with military observers of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) in collection of military related information and passes this information to the joint military committee, the highest military integrated organ in the country.
This highest military body then brings to the attention of the highest executive political committees and presidency issues pertaining to the security in the country between the two regions.
In an interview with Sudan Tribune, a senior military official who requested anonymity, said they have constantly experienced restrictive and procedural steps when wanting to access military related information on the other side.We have continued to face restrictive and procedural steps when we want to access any military related information at the extreme northern part of Abyei unlike in south.
“We have repeatedly brought this to the attentions of the higher authorities and leadership of the two parties but little has been done and locals have constantly blamed us for not being fair.
The local people are ever accusing us of not being fair. That we do not go to the far north of Abyei as per the permanent court of arbitration. That we are bought and cowards, he explained stressing that some community members seemed to be losing trust in them.
The call came following another clash in the border village of Tajlei at the extreme north of Abyei between the police force and armed group allegedly identified as members of Messeriya tribes.
The clash reportedly occurred on Monday morning at 7: Am has left two dead and wounded four others.
Reports and press briefings from Abyei have indicated that hundreds of the residents in the village were equally seen fleeing the scene, leaving it as no go area as it becomes a military operation zone.
(ST)