SPLM’s Amum says Abyei referendum must happen or President should transfer region to south

By Ngor Arol Garang

January 12, 2011 (JUBA) – Pagan Amum, Secretary General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) said that either a referendum must be held in the contested region of Abyei as per the 2005 peace agreement or Sudan’s Presidency should agree to transfer the region into the south.

Abyei was due to hold a referendum this week to decide whether it will become part of south Sudan. Sudan’s south is currently holding a self determination vote to decide whether it wishes to separate from the north.

However, the Abyei referendum has not taken place after the north and south could not agree who should be allowed to participate in the vote. Tensions are rising in the region, with clashes between the Misseriya and local police from the Dinka Ngok ethnic group over the weekend resulting in at least 23 deaths.

The SPLM, who govern the south say that only the southern-aligned Dinka Ngok should be allowed to vote, while the Khartoum-based National Congress Party (NCP) have insisted that the nomadic group, who enter the region for a few months each year to find grazing land for their cattle, should also be given full voting rights.

In 2008 the two parties referred their dispute over the borders of the region to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. Although the ruling was excepted by both parties, it has yet to be implemented and the border is still not demarcated.

Amum, who is also the minister for peace and the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, told Sudan Tribune that either referendum must be rescheduled or Sudan’s President should transfer the region to the south.

“There are only two options left for the issue of Abyei. One of these two options is the implementation of the Abyei protocol in accordance with the provision of the comprehensive peace and the ruling of the permanent court of Arbitration”, Amum said.

“ The other option is presidential order to transfer the region from the north to the South from where it was originally transferred to Kordofan region in central Sudan,” Amum told Sudan Tribune from Wau, capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal state shortly after arriving from Abyei where he held several meetings with local officials and traditional leaders there.

Amum led a high level delegation comprised of the south’s Internal Affairs Minister, Lieutenant General Gier Chuang Aluong and Regional Cooperation Minister, Deng Alor Kuol who is a from Abyei.

The southern delegation met with their NCP from Khartoum, headed by the federal minister of internal affairs and deputy director for national intelligence and security service, General Majak Agot.

The United Nations were also present with Special Representative for Secretary General of the UN, Haile Menkerios and the force commander of the UN peacekeepers in Sudan, General Moses Obi.

In exclusive interview with Sudan Tribune, Amum said the mission of their visit was to assess situation on the ground and to talk to local leaders on what the SPLM is doing about the issue of Abyei.

“The purpose of our visit was to deliver a peace message from the president of south Sudan, comrade Salva Kiir Mayardit and the entire leadership of the government and people of south Sudan to the people of Abyei.

“Another reason of our visit was to come and assess security situation, especially after series of attacks have taken place and see how best the situation can be returned to normal,” explained Amum.

The senior political figure of the southern dominant party, the SPLM, said his party remained committed to following the issue of Abyei with the NCP with the international community.

“The main reason of our visit was basically to assure citizens of Abyei and their leaders our commitment in the SPLM to follow an honest implementation of the Abyei protocol and to tell them not to accept aggression to derail peace,” Amum said.

In a separate interview with Sudan Tribune, Miyen Alor Kuol, secretary for information, communications and foreign relations with SPLM office in Abyei said Wednesday that talks over Abyei began on Wednesday in Kadugli town, capital of south Kordofan State, between Missiriya and Dinka Ngok.

“There are talks today in Kadugli between us and the Missiriya. I am currently in Kadugli with our chiefs and local delegation from Abyei,” said Kuol.

The senior official from the area, however, said that the current discussions would only discuss on way forward to resolve recent clashes and not the entire future of Abyei.

“These talks would concentrate on how best to resolve recent clashes so that peace and stability returns to the area so as to allow movement of goods with people and service resumes,” he said.

(ST)