Sudan’s Misseriya call to address Abyei in al-Bashir-Kiir summit

October 30, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Misseriya leaders have called on the Sudanese government to include the issue of Abyei in the agenda of bilateral talks with the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.

A South Sudanese presidential aide told Sudan Tribune that Abyei would not be on the agenda of bilateral during the visit of President Kiir who is expected in Khartoum on Wednesday 1 November.

In statements to the semi-official SMC Mohamed Omer al-Ansari, a Misseriya leading member pointed to the need to form Abyei joint administration institutions in line with the agreement of 20 June 2011.

Also, he called to include the issue of the disputed area in the agenda of the meetings between President Omer al-Bashir and his South Sudanese counterpart.

“We insist on resolving the issue of Abyei and to launch the formation of a joint government in the (dispute) region that will implement what has been agreed in the deal.”

Jaffur Daou, the head of external relations at the Dinka Council – a tribal body supporting to maintain Abyei in the Sudan – called to discuss the issue stressing that Juba has delayed the process pretending that it would be settled during the presidential summit.

The Juba-backed Dinka-Ngok rejects the formation of the joint administrative and security institutions saying it is time to run a referendum on the self-determination without the participation of the Misseriya nomads.

But Khartoum says the priority should be given to the set up of the administrative an legislative councils and the joint police force before to settle the difference over who can take part in the vote on the vote of the disputed area.

(ST)