Khartoum negotiating teams say Abyei is Sudanese territory

August 14, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese delegation for the talks on the Abyei area Monday said they will focus on the need for a peaceful coexistence between the communities there, stressing that the border disputed area remains a Sudanese territory.

The African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) organise two-day meetings on 16 and 17 August in Addis Ababa for The Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC) and the traditional leaders from the Ngok-Dinka and Misseriya communities.

The meetings come after a resolution last May by the UN Security Council demanding both parties to establish Abyei Area Administration and police force. Also, it urged to resume talks on the final status of Abyei under the auspices of the AUHIP.

In preparation for this meeting, the Sudanese delegations for the talks chaired by Hassan Ali Nimir held a meeting on Monday with the Sudanese Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid to coordinate the positions they would defend in the upcoming talks.

Speaking after the meeting, Nimir who is also the head of the Sudanese side in the AJOC told reporters that the delegation received clear directives from the presidency to insist on the fact that Abyei remains a Sudanese territory, in addition to the need for peaceful coexistence to create the necessary conditions for its development.

“This vision is what we hold to the other party with the emphasis that (Abyei) is a Sudanese region that cannot be conceded to a specific ethnic group. Also, its wealth is for every Sudanese who have the right to enjoy it because it is Sudanese land,” he said according to the official news agency SUNA.

In line with the Abyei protocol which is part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that led to South Sudan separation in 2011, Abyei remains part of Sudan until a referendum has taken place. Also, the 2005 peace agreement provides that the residents of the disputed area of Abyei have to decide in a referendum if they want to remain part of the Sudan or join South Sudan.

But, the failure to reach an agreement over who is a resident of Abyei blocks the vote on the fate of the contested region.

A month before the vote for South Sudan independence, Khartoum and Juba agreed on 20 June 2011 to re-conduct a joint administration until the organisation of a referendum.

However, the Ngok Dinka refuse this solution saying the priority should be given to a popular consultation without the participation of the Sudanese Messeriya nomads, a matter that the Sudanese government rejects.

(ST)