SPLM accuse Sudan Armed Forces of troop buildup

By Ngor Arol Garang

October 20, 2010 (JUBA) – An official from south Sudan’s ruling party on Wednesday said that there is a sharp increase in number of Sudan Armed Forces in the contested oil region of Abyei on the north-south border.

Abyei is due to vote in January on whether it wishes to join the north or south. The south will vote in a simultaneous referendum on independence.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune from the regional capital of Juba, Deng Arop Kuol, of the Sudan People’s Liberatino Movement (SPLM) who govern south Sudan said that forces controlled by the Khartoum government were increasing.

“Troop building up is on the rise. It is rising sharply at borderlines. They have increased deployment in Nyamba, Difra, and Heglig and in all other areas around oil fields in the area.”

The official described security situation in the area as “relatively calm”. Tensions have risen recently since the President of Southern Sudan asked the UN to form a buffer zone each side of the north-south border ahead of the referendum. This has been rejected by Khartoum. Both sides accuse the other of amassing troops on the border.

Asked about security situation on commercial routes linking Abyei with the south, Kuol said roads are opened and trucks are delivering goods are passing.

“Commercial trucks with goods coming to the south up to here in Juba are coming but there are reports that these vehicles and their accompanying personnel face number of challenges including harassments and intimidation,” said Kuol.

Kuol said his administration hopes to held displaced people from Abyei return ahead of the referendum.

“There are plans to return citizens to the area. We are now working closely with relevant authorities to expedite processes and procedures involve in repatriation operations,” he said.

Miyen Alor Kuol, a member of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement in the area said the security situation in the area was normal but still unpredictable.

“No one can ever give accurate information about security of this area because it has never experienced an absolute stability. Abyei has never experienced complete peace. Security situation here is ever erratic despite the fact that it has been signed in reference to peace but with zero implementation in the area,” said Alor in an interview with Sudan Tribune from Abyei town on Wednesday.

He, however, acknowledged that the situation was relatively calm in the last two months, referring to July and August this year.

“Security situation in July and August as well as in September was calm. It was normal. Locals from both sides moved freely and interacted fairly. Commercial routes connecting the two areas were opened without escort and restrictive movement,” said Alor.

Talks between partners to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement over Abyei collapsed last week in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. The delegations representing two parties at the talks failed to reach consensus over the composition of the referendum commission and the definition of who is eligible to vote in the upcoming referendum.

The 2005 peace agreement signed between the former southern rebels the SPLM and Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party defines Abyei as a region belonging to the “nine Dinka Ngok chiefdoms”, transferred by the British to Kordofan in 1905 from Bahr el Ghazal in the south.

(ST)