Ngok Dinka candidates from Abyei to run in Sudan elections: official
February 22, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese co-chair of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC), Hassan Ali Nimir, said that nominees from Ngok Dinka will run for the national parliament and the legislative council of West Kordofan state in Sudan’s general elections in April.
Nimir revealed that electoral process in the disputed Abyei will be secured according to the rules of the National Election Commission (NEC) if the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) rejects to carry out the task.
He told the pro-government Sudan Media Center (SMC) website that several candidates from Al-Mairam, Al-Dabab and Stait areas are running for the legislative council and the national parliament, saying that nominees of Ngok Dinka in Abyei area include Magid Yak and Awin Zakaria Ateem.
The Sudanese official stressed that he inspected the resident’s conditions during his recent visit to Abeyi within the framework of regular contacts between the committee and the citizens and in accordance with the directives of the first vice president, Bakri Hassan Salih.
He announced that 50% of the agricultural equipments will be handed over to Abyei residents during the next couple of days.
The status of Abyei was addressed in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), but a planned referendum to decide the future of the region never went ahead due to disagreement over who would be eligible to participate in the vote.
Khartoum wants the Misseriya, who enter the area with their cattle for part the year, to participate, whereas Juba maintains that under the deal only those permanently residing in the area are eligible to take part.
After waiting almost three years for agreement between Khartoum and Juba over their plebiscite the Southern-aligned Ngok Dinka held a unilateral vote in October last year in which they almost unanimously opted to join South Sudan.
The voting result was dismissed by Khartoum and Juba. Also the African Union and the international community refused to recognise the vote.
(ST)