South Sudanese opposition call for people of Abyei to be armed
June 3, 2013 (JUBA) – The leader of the minority group in South Sudan’s parliament has called for handing over the disputed region of Abyei to the United Nations in order to be able to conduct the referendum for the area, while also recommending that the local population be armed to defend themselves.
Anyoti Adigo, the leader of the minority group in the house on the ticket of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) made three alternative proposals to resolving the conflict between South Sudan and Sudan.
“The issue of Abyei is becoming a concern. The two parties are not able to agree. The two presidents have met several times in different places including here in Juba and they did not reach any understanding to the resolve the issue. So we are proposing the way forward. One of our proposals is to hand over the region to the African union and the United Nations. We want the African union and the United Nations to take full responsibility so that they can conduct referendum and disarm any group holding weapons in the area”, Adigo told reporters Monday.
He said the natives of Abyei from the Dinka Ngok tribe, including those holding top-level positions in the government of the republic of South Sudan should go to the area and be with the people there on the ground.
“We also want the people of Abyei, including those holding senior government positions, the ministers, business groups, members of the civil society organisations and other group to go the area and be with the people there on the ground. The local people should be armed because the government of Khartoum is arming Misseriya. These guns should be used for defend”, he said.
The senior member of the country’s second largest opposing party, said Chief Kuol Deng Kuol was killed because did not feel total responsibility and that was why it decided to negotiate.
“Abyei will not be the first place to be given the United Nations. There have been other places in the world given to the United Nations to run when the parties to the conflict like this case between Sudan and the South Sudan have failed to reach an understanding”, he said.
Khartoum and Juba failed to reach a compromise on the formation of an interim administration or on the organisation of a referendum on self-determination.
The region, which is part of the Sudan, had initially to vote in January 2011 to decide whether they want to joint South Sudan or to keep their current situation. But the two parties failed on who can participate in this process.
(ST)