World welcomes North-South accord on Abyei
June 20, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The international community on Monday welcomed an accord signed in Addis Ababa between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the National Congress Party (NCP) in which they agreed to withdraw all their troops from the contested region of Abyei.
Under the deal inked between the signatories to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) would withdraw any troops they have from the oil-producing district after which Ethiopian troops would be deployed to fill the void.
The agreement details the mechanism by which the Abyei administration council to replace the one dissolved by president Omer Hassan al-Bashir following SAF’s takeover of Abyei last month. Its chief shall be picked by the SPLM but must be approved by the NCP. The deputy however, would be nominated by the NCP and endorsed by the Southern ex-rebel group.
Three of the five heads of the departments of the administrative council would be nominated by the SPLM and the remaining two by the NCP.
A police service would be established for the region, with the size and composition determined by a joint committee co-chaired by northern and southern officials.
The development represents a major breakthrough by Mbeki’s panel following over a week of marathonic talks between the North and South that saw countries like the U.S. weigh in to press for a resolution.
The U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed the accord but said the real test would be how both sides implemented the deal.
“The agreement signed today is an important first step — but the real test of the parties’ commitment will be the full implementation of its provisions in the coming days,” Clinton said in a statement.
“We will work within the UN Security Council to seek a resolution authorizing the agreed-upon interim security force to support the swift deployment of the Ethiopian peacekeepers”.
“At the same time, I urge all parties to follow through on their commitment to withdraw their military forces and take steps to facilitate the return of the tens of thousands of people displaced by recent fighting.”
The U.S. top diplomat commended Mbeki and head of UN mission in Sudan (UNMIS) Haile Menkerios for their efforts.
“I know these negotiations have not been easy. I commend both parties for resolving their differences peacefully after the outbreak of violence” Clinton said
The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon also welcomed the deal and urged adherence to it.
The secretary-general “calls on the parties to abide in full by its provisions to demilitarize the area and establish an administration and police service and to provide their full cooperation to the United Nations and government of Ethiopia in deploying peacekeeping troops and police to the area,” said the statement attributed to Ban.
The status of Abyei was supposed to be determined through a referendum that was to be held in January but disagreement on who is eligible to vote stalled the process.
Observers say that Abyei could be the ‘Kashmir’ of Sudan. The South will officially become a new state on July 9th.
(ST)
Adam
World welcomes North-South accord on Abyei
Good news!
Now, the tension will be diffused according to this agreement. I hope both NCP and SPLM will be responsible enough to implement the withdrawal of their troops to the 1956 border – to the South and to the North. No need to make games and cheating. This step must pave the way for real negotiations in order to reach an agreement on the referendum.
Please involve the natives in the negotiations. The teams failed in achieving a solution for the past years should be replaced by good-will people who think that concessions have to be made. No party will ever get 100%.
Solving Abyei issue will eventually leads to a better, fruitful and peaceful relationship between the divided nation. That is highly needed for sure.
Let us pray that the devil will be absent when it comes to details.
Adam Milawaki, Nairobi
Mohammed Amin
World welcomes North-South accord on Abyei
It is very clear that the NCP are caving in. Not just too long ago were they swearing that Abyei was a nothern land and belonged to the North. You can tell by them letting the head of the Administration be from the SPLM side. NCP are very smart, they realise that they are not winning South Kordufan and even in Darfur for that matter. I thought that they were surposed to be singing a peace in Doha very shortly? people are not stupid as NCP would like to think they are. You days are Numbered and are becoming very Short. You lost South Sudan, Darfur, South Kordufan and soon you will be loosing Abyei, Blue Nile, and not too far away you will be loosing Khartoum as well. As we all know that there are some unhappy people in khartoum. Good Luck NCP, it’s just a matter of waiting.
Janafil
World welcomes North-South accord on Abyei
Go a head but Bashir need to be sincer and tell what can be put in practicle
Mr. Truthteller
World welcomes North-South accord on Abyei
That is not a real agreement, but a fake one used by the NCP to let itself off the hook being designed in New York and Washington. The NCP officials think they are smarter than SPLM.
Now they know that the government in South Sudan is pushing for action at the Security council and US state department as the Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, is talking to these world bodies in the US.
The implementation of that Addis Ababa agreement will not be there once the NCP feels that the hook is withdrawn from their mouths. The NCP will violate the agreement soon and do a totally different action before the Ethiopian troops are deployed in Abyei.
I pity the sons of Abyei for dividing their voice; some cry to tears in the North that Abyei belongs to North Sudan while others in the South cry to tears that Abyei belongs to South Sudan. Why don’t you have one voice, my people?
The Abyei issue is a dangerous scenario for your existence in the land if you don’t understand it well.
Lorolokin
World welcomes North-South accord on Abyei
World Body,
You are well come in well – coming the accord inked in Ethiopia, But the problem is will Khartoum and National Crime Party (NCP) implement this accord ?
So many Agreement dishonoured …………
Kinkak.
Abyei Soil
World welcomes North-South accord on Abyei
There are some ways need facts to tell not just a matter of seeing and write what come in your mind. If I ask you Mr truthteller who spoken out his feeling to remain in North, will you tell me the name or you’re the one speaking that voice?
Don’t wish Abyei a bad luck not to meet peace as the rest of Sudan do. Our land is geographically in the South part of Sudan no doubts about that and as Abyei people, we used to share water and mostly pasture land with neighbors as we have been living together in Sudan but if the people of Sudan decided to separate then definitely we can follow the decisions of our natives. It is not a crime to be with your people, your origin, look at the Arabs race now, they lives in Africa still calls themselves Arabs not African, they lives in Asia and still Arabs not Asian so it is not bad idea. We found people living socially with tribes or races they came from or fit in like that and still we follow it as it was.
Abyei is an African land which should remain under their territory if we are to stand by post of peace.
Runrach
World welcomes North-South accord on Abyei
I wonder whether these international bodies who have just gathered below/above really understood the secret behind Bashir and his NCP colleagues?
How many negotiations had been held so far since the signing of CPA six and half years and yet Bashir is still creating unrest situation in the South leave alone Dafur,Nuba mountains and Blue Nile? I thought they should have accounting the number of violations that had been carried out by Khartoum Government rather than appreciating the recent agreement held in Ethiopian capital.
However, I don’t think something possitive will come out from that agreement, given the fact that AU mediators headed by Mbeki are known by any success.Thabo Mbeki is a man of his own interest and more importantly, he is there to beat a bloody drum as many civilians lost their lifes in his hand while many adorned him as an African nationalist.
Deng Ateny Lueth
World welcomes North-South accord on Abyei
Well, i have never ever questioned, nor did i ever engaged in criticizing SPLM/A movement and its leadership since the day i met Dr.John Garang de Mabior until his # 2 Man, H.E General, President of soon to be Republic of South Sudan 1988. but today i have seen severity of weaknesses from President Kiir, i held him with low opinion in my heart today because of Abyei issue. we have to define Abyei what it means in miseriah or their arab masters dictionary,let alone the claim lay on it by the north. i totally disagree with today release on sudantribune, specially the new accord reached by both nif(ncp) and Sudan People liberation Movement (SPLM)is which North is granted right to share power with South in Abyei. this newly arrangment will justify the false claim of Abyei by miseriah to by rightful citizens of abyei through sharing of power there with our Dinka Ngok people.
George Bol
World welcomes North-South accord on Abyei
This agreement is just for both parties to withdraw their forces in the Abyei.You need to know that this accord is not for the future for the Dinka Ngok in Abyei. I agree with those who said that the agreemnet is temporarry and it;s not going to stop militray engagements because the NCP is going to emerge it forces around Abyei and be ready any time with their airforces and transportations that can bring their Army for just an hour while the SPLM would have take some time to stop the SAF who might have reached the Abyei hours before the SPLA. This tactics make the Khartoum governmnet happy and accept the accord without preconditions. But the Arab Khartoum need to know that weSPLM/A can take Abyei after you entered by force. The NCP think that when UN and the international community say the two forces withdraw in Abyei as their opportunity but we know how we can stop the NIF of Omer Bashier. We South Sudanese know that the accord is just temporary so that we can negotiate more on the other burning issues. Thanks
Dinkawarrior
World welcomes North-South accord on Abyei
The reason behind the NCP butcheries or whatever they call themselves is to vanished African birthright, if you don’t agree with it then guess how many Muslims deceased in Darfur. Kiir now is a President of South Sudan and he is free to declare war at any times to those who are murdering his citizens. No times no games as long we identified ourselves as African Heritage, each and every one of us know that Sudan was there before Arabs came to it and even before Islamic. There is only one chance for the Regime-Arab to accept that they are immigrants and they will be branded as Arab-African! Or otherwise Khartoum will be the next killing zone in future. Let’s join together with our brothers in Abyei, Blue Nile, Darfur, and in Nuba Mountain.