Sudan commission begins investigation into murder of Abyei chief

June 26, 2013, (KHARTOUM) – A commission formed by Sudan to probe circumstances surrounding the shooting incident which led to the death of the Dinka Ngok paramount chief Kuol Deng Kuol in the disputed border area of Abyei last month began its work by conducting a field visit.

The visit which took place under the auspices of the United Nations Security Forces in Abyei (UNISFA) included representatives from the justice ministry, Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) and police.

Kuol died when a convoy he was travelling in with UNISFA was ambushed by armed members of the nomadic Arab Misseriya tribe as they returned to Abyei town after a visit further north.

He was part of a joint delegation from Juba and Khartoum that visited the area to hold talks on how the two sides could move forward with consultations to end the deadlock on the formation of a temporary administration in the strife-torn border zone.

Said Mohamed Fareed, a senior adviser at the Ministry of Justice and head of the commission, told the pro-government Sudanese Media Center (SMC) website that they visited the site where the killing took place and spoke with eyewitnesses.

He added that they also paid a visit to the hospital which received the dead and wounded and got hold of medical records.

The Sudanese official said that they plan to meet with elements of the police and security who were present at the site.

Defra has been chosen as headquarters of the commission with the view of moving to Abyei in the future with the assistance of UNISFA, Fareed said.

The commission chair explained that the investigation in the first phase will include the Arab Misseriya tribesmen and at a later stage the Ngok Dinka.

South Sudan split from its northern neighbor in 2011 under a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war. Like South Sudan, Abyei was meant to have an independence referendum, agreed under the 2005 deal, but Sudan and South Sudan have been unable to agree which tribal members should participate.

In a bid to end the stalemate last year, the African Union (AU) backed a proposal allowing only those residing permanently in the area to vote in the plebiscite.

The decision effectively excludes members of the Misseriya nomads, who enter the area at different times of the year to graze their cattle, from participating in the vote.

(ST)