As voter registration begins for southern referendum Abyei waits for new deal
November 15, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – While registration on independence vote for South Sudan due in the next January year kicked off on Monday, citizens of the contested border region of Abyei are still waiting for arrangements to be agreed for their much delayed poll.
Under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed by the National Congress Party (NCP) on behalf of the government of Sudan and the former southern rebels, the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM), South Sudan will hold an independence vote to decide whether it should remain part of a united Sudan or vote to become a new nation.
The agreement also allows a referendum in the oil producing region of Abyei to decide whether to join Bahr el Ghazal state in the south or remain in south Kordofan state on the other side of the border.
Most residents of Abyei are from the Nine Dinka Ngok chiefdoms who were transferred to the northern side of the border in 1905 by Britain and Egypt.
Miyen Alor Kuol, a senior SPLM official from Abyei town, told Sudan Tribune on Monday that citizens of the region remained behind from voter participating in voter registration process because the two parties have failed to reach any consensus over composition and eligibility of who should in the referendum.
“We were supposed to have started together today registering for referendum with our brothers from south but this did not happen because the two parties to the comprehensive peace agreement have not, until this time, able to reach a consensus over composition and eligibility of who should vote in the referendum,” said Kuol.
The NCP have demanded that the Misseriya tribe, most of whom are not resident in Abyei and enter the region for a few months each year to find pasture for their cattle, be allowed to vote.
This has been the main sticking point for negotiations to start preparations for voter registration, with the SPLM insisted that only the Dinka Ngok be allowed to vote.
The NCP and SPLM are currently negotiating the terms of an accord to resolve outstanding issues such as border demarcation, security, post-referendum arrangements and Abyei.
Thabo Mbeki, who leads the African Unions High Level Panel on Sudan told reporters on Sunday Abyei that this new framework agreement will be completed before by Sunday 21 November.
The Abyei issue will be referred to the presidency the former South African President said following a meeting with Sudanese First Vice-President Salva Kiir and 2nd Vice-President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha.
“It has been agreed that the Abyei file be referred to the Presidency. We at the AU panel will immediately meet with the Presidency after President al-Bashir returns from Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Abyei MP Kuol, remains optimistic for possible settlement to Abyei issue saying that citizens of the area are determined to participate in any plebiscite to decide their future.
“Although our people have been left from registering together with the south today, I think there will be a possible compromise over the future of Abyei in the near future. I believe something will have been reached by the time people from south Sudan turn up to vote in January 2011,” said Kuol
He, however, blamed the National Congress Party for holding the region hostage without clear reason, echoing recent rhetoric by SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum.
“I really do not understand why the National Congress Party is holding Abyei. They have signed two legitimate documents with assurance to respect rights of the citizens of Abyei. They signed CPA which contained Abyei protocol and the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration which are the legitimate documents witnessed by the international community yet they do not want to allow our citizen exercise their rights to vote at referendum. What do they need really,” asked Kuol.
If the Abyei vote goes ahead it could see the region join, what most observers expect will be, a newly-independent south.
(ST)