AU expresses concern over humanitarian crisis in S. Kordofan

June 22, 2011 (JUBA) The African Union has expressed deep concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in South Kordofan, following armed conflict between the north Sudan’s army and the former rebel group the Sudan People’s Liberation Army.

In a strongly-worded statement issued on Tuesday, Jean Ping, the chairperson of the AU Commission called for immediate investigations into cases of human rights abuses reportedly witnessed during the fighting, now in its third week.

Ping appealed to both parties to facilitate access by humanitarian agencies to the civilian population in all parts of South Kordofan, adding that both the northern government and their southern counterparts have obligations, under international humanitarian law, to protect innocent civilians in distress and in need of assistance.

The AU Chairperson further called upon the two parties, which were signatory to Sudan’s 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) to wholeheartedly engage in their negotiations towards a political settlement of the South Kordofan conflict, citing in the talks currently underway, in Addis Ababa, under the facilitation of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP).

“The AU insists that there is no military solution to the current political conflict and that the parties should urgently agree to a cessation of hostilities,” the AU statement says.

Over 60,000 people, according to the UN office for coordination of humanitarian affairs, have been displaced. Around 35,000 of which are believed to be heading to El Obeid in North Kordofan.

On 5 June, fighting broke out in the key northern oil-producing state, which borders soon-to-be independent South Sudan. The fighting has raised fears of a possible return to war. The 2005 CPA brought to the end a two-decade conflict which had consumed South Sudan as well as the northern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Despite the civil war beginning in South Sudan, groups in South Kordofan and Blue Nile joined the SPLA due to their own grievances with the Khartoum government.

The SPLA contend that their members in these areas are northerners and therefore reject the Khartoum’s ultimatum that they should move south of the border. The SPLA in the area has refused to disarm or join the northern army.

Before the conflict began tensions were extremely high after the politcial wing of the SPLA – the SPLM – lost parliamentary and gubernatorial elections in the state, which they thought they would win.

Insecurity in the state capital Kaduguli – and Khartoum’s closure of the airport – has reportedly limited humanitarian organisations from either re-allocating their staff from the town or blocked re-supply of stocks in the region.

“The ongoing insecurity and restrictions on movement of humanitarian actors continue to severely limit humanitarian access to the displaced civilians in and around Kadugli town and other areas,” reveals the UN’s assessment report.

Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) says an estimated 6,000 displaced people are currently being hosted by communities in El Obeid, while another estimated 700-800 people, mainly members of the Nuba tribe, with the majority being women and children are reportedly living the towns bus market.

As part of an inter-agency response, members of the humanitarian country team have appealed for humanitarian corridors, particularly between Kasugai and El Obeid, to enable safe passage to persons who wish to leave.

Meanwhile, the UN has initiated daily inter-sectoral coordination meetings, which are being held in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum as a mechanism to ensure that responses and plans are fully updated to reflect situations on the ground.

(ST)