UN chief urges Khartoum and Juba to stop claiming Abyei’s ownership

May 6, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has urged Khartoum and Juba to stop claiming the ownership of the oil-producing area of Abyei and asked them to prioritize ways to reach negotiated solution.

South Sudan’s cabinet endorsed yesterday a draft constitution providing that the territory of the new state comprises the contested Abyei area . Also during a visit to South Kordofan last week, Sudanese president Omer-Al-Bashir stated that Abyei is part of the north Sudan.

The disputed region, which is not part of the north or the south and depends directly from the presidency, was due to hold a referendum on 9 January but the divergence over who can participate in the vote delayed the plebiscite.

“The Secretary-General calls upon the leadership of the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) to refrain from any unilateral declarations regarding the ownership of the Abyei area,” said a statement released by Ban Ki-Moon on Friday.

The UN chief further urged the two parties to refrain from “provoking each other or engaging in any military confrontation in Abyei”. He warned that it could “result in further loss of life and significantly affect the future relationship between North and South”.

The South Sudan government president Salva Kiir Mayadrit on Thursday 5 May discussed the security situation in Abyei with UN Secretary General special representative in Sudan, Haile Menkerios who was flanked by U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Princeton Lyman and former Burundian President Pierre Buyoya of the AU high level panel.

Menkerios stated after the meeting that the two ruling parties in Khartoum and Juba have committed that the Kadugli and Abyei Agreements shall be (immediately) carried out with the facilitation and participation of the UN.”

The two parties agreed in Kadugli on 13 January and Abyei on 4 March to withdraw all unauthorized forces from Abyei and that only the Joint Integrated Units can maintain security there.

Ban Ki-Moon urged north and south Sudan to immediately implement the agreed containment measures and to adhere to the timetable for their implementation. Menkerios said the UNMIS would support the enforcement of these measures.

Last week new clashes erupted in the contested region between the north Sudan forces in the JIUs and local police from southern Sudan. The fight resulted in the death of 14 soldiers from both sides.

(ST)