Abyei crisis peacefully, Troika ministers tell Sudan’s ruling parties
Resolve
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JUBA 8, 2011 (JUBA) - The conflict in Sudan’s oil-producing region of
Abyei should be peacefully resolved to avoid situations likely to drag
the country back to war, development ministers from Norway, United
Kingdom and the United States have advised.
JPEG - 10.3 kb
(L-R) Norway’s Erik Solheim, USAID’s Rajiv Shah, South Sudan’s Salva
Kiir, UK’s Andrew Mitchell and Cirino Hiteng, minister for the
presidency, May 7, 2011 (Photo: Safi Matata)
The trio of Erik Solheim, Norway’s minister for environment and
international development, Andrew Mitchell, the UK secretary of state
for international development and Rajiv Shah, the US Agency for
International Development (USAID) administrator jointly made these
remarks at a press briefing held shortly after meeting South Sudan
leader, Salva Kiir in the regional capital, Juba.
Over the years, the US, Norway and the UK, better known as the Troika
countries, have been credited for their longstanding humanitarian and
development partnership with Sudan. They played key roles in brokering
the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended over two
decades of war between north and south.
Specifically, the three ministers, in a joint statement urged the
ruling parties of north and south Sudan to ensure that outstanding
issues from the CPA like the conduct of a self determination in the
Abyei border region and the demarcation of the north-south border are
peacefully resolved before the July 9 declaration of South Sudan’s
independence.
In principle, the trio fully committed themselves towards supporting
the Thabo Mbeki-led AU High Level Implementation Panel on Sudan
(AUHIP), but openly appealed to the parties involved in the
negotiations to ensure that consensus is reached without delays.
On his part, the USAID administrator acknowledged South Sudan’s able
leadership under Kiir, saying the US government will continue
providing the necessary support that will benefit the
soon-to-be-independent country. He cited capacity building needs,
private sector development through agriculture and improving good
governance and rule of law as some of the key areas that may require
immediate intervention.
Meanwhile, a high level donor conference, according to Shah, is due to
take place in September, during which participating nations -
including South Sudan - will be required to present their respective
country’s key priorities for funding.
Last month, a report released by the Enough Project described Abyei as
“Sudan’s West Bank”, arguing that the escalating levels of violence in
oil region threatens prospects for peace in the south, ahead of the
region’s long-awaited independence.
According to the report authored Douglas H. Johnson, a member of the
Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC), the persistent violence in the
region includes the “deliberate burning of villages by
northern-aligned forces” and massive displacement of thousands of
people. Such actions derails hopes for peace in the region the report
said.
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Andrew Mitchell makes his remarks as Rajiv Shah (L) and Solheim (R)
look on during the press briefing in Juba, May 7, 2011 (Photo: Safi
matata).
According Johnson’s report, the Abyei Protocol of the CPA, which was
meant to resolve the dispute in the area, still remains in jeopardy,
as fighting continues in the disputed oil-producing region.
“Failure to implement the intent of the Abyei Protocol in both letter
and spirit has implications for the uncompleted Popular Consultation
processes in the sensitive border states of Blue Nile and South
Kordofan,” the report says.
Abyei was due to hold a referendum in January to determine whether the
country would join the south or remain on the north of the border. The
South’s plebiscite on independence went ahead on schedule – with a
massive vote for secession – while Abyei’s did not due to a dispute
over who was allowed to vote.
In recent months, fighting in the Abyei area, involving Sudan Armed
Forces (SAF) and allied militias allegedly linked to the Khartoum
regime have reportedly displaced over 20,000 people. Officials from
the south-ruling party have repeatedly blamed such incidences on the
Khartoum regime’s “lack of commitment” to the full implementation of
the 2005 CPA.
“These waves of instabilities in the south, especially in Abyei and
other parts of the region clearly demonstrate Khartoum’s willingness
to continue limited warfare against the southern government and its
army,” Pagan Amum, secretary general of the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement (SPLM) recently told journalists.
But to ensure full implementation of the Abyei referendum and other
outstanding CPA issues, he openly appealed to the U.S. government to
affirm its commitment towards finding an ideal solution to the
problems in the disputed oil-producing region.
Last week new clashes erupted in the contested region between the
north Sudan forces in the JIUs and local police from southern Sudan.
The fight resulted in the death of 14 soldiers from both sides and
both sides accusing the other of starting the violence.
In the last few days both the UN and African Union have called on the
north and south to resolve the impasse over Abyei. Failure to do so,
analyst say, could result in a return to conflict.
(ST)
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