U.S. condemns Sudan army’s takeover of Abyei and dissolution of council
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May 21, 2011 (WASHINGTON) – The United States on Saturday rebuked the
Sudanese government over its army’s move on the disputed border region
of Abyei which elevated fears of a full-scale war between the North
and South.
JPEG - 13.4 kb
UN troops in Abyei, South Sudan (AP)
Sudan state TV quoted an unidentified military source as saying that
the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) managed to take over Abyei and inflicted
heavy losses on the "enemy".
"The SAF reached the town of Abyei by sunset and tightened control
over it and drove enemy forces to the South," the source said.
Prior to that the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir issued two
simultaneous decrees dissolving the Abyei’s administrative council and
firing its head, his VP and the directors of the five departments
within the body.
The United States deplored today’s moves saying that it "condemns the
offensive operations being undertaken by the Sudanese Armed Forces
(SAF) in and around Abyei town and today’s presidential decree
dissolving the Abyei Administration".
A White House statement called on SAF "to immediately cease all
offensive operations in Abyei and withdraw its forces from Abyei."
"Failure to do so could set back the process of normalizing relations
between Sudan and the United States and inhibit the international
community’s ability to move forward on issues critical to Sudan’s
future. The actions being taken by the government of Sudan are blatant
violations of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and threaten to
undermine the mutual commitment of the CPA parties to avoid a return
to war ".
Today’s escalation comes on the heels of an attack that took place
near Abyei on Thursday which targeted an SAF convoy that was pulling
out of the area with an escort from the United Nations Mission in
Sudan (UNMIS).
The Sudanese government said that 22 SAF soldiers were killed and
scores were still missing in the attack that they blamed on the Sudan
People Liberation Army (SPLA). UNMIS condemned the assault but
declined to point finger at the party behind the attack.
SAF has said at the time that it reserves the right to respond "in the
right time and place".
Abyei was scheduled to hold a referendum last January on whether to be
part of the North or an independent South but it was put on hold after
both sides failed to agree on who would be eligible to vote.
The SPLA confirmed an SAF offensive on the contested region since Friday.
"The Sudan Armed Forces attacked four villages on Friday and it again
attacked five other villages on Saturday, today. These attacks have
claimed lives of local innocent civilians. Some of them were bombed.
Others were killed in the cross fire staged by advancing ground forces
of the Sudan Armed forces", said SPLA spokesperson Colonel Phillip
Aguer Panyang.
Ngor Aguot, a Sudan Tribune reporter in Abyei said he saw warplanes
dropping bombs at four different locations in the region on Friday and
Saturday.
The acting head of the SPLM in Abyei, Juac Agok said the aircrafts
were military assets of the SAF.
"It is the Sudanese government in Khartoum and its armed forces which
owns war planes it uses to bomb her citizens. They have resumed air
attack today in Abyei in five other different villages. They bombed
Mabok, they bombed Alal, and they again bombed Todac which they bombed
yesterday", explained Agok.
Marial Benjamin Bil, minister of information in the of government of
South Sudan (GoSS), said in a telephone interview with Sudan Tribune
on Saturday from Juba that he received reports from Abyei that SAF
have once again bombed the area today.
"There are reports from Abyei that the Sudan Armed Forces have once
again bombed the area today. They have bombed five other different
villages today. A village called Alal, Mabok and Todach which they
bombed yesterday were again bombed", said Bil.
The minister said the Sudan Armed Forces used long range artilleries
for launching attacks and used other heavy weapons and tanks in the
ground attacks.
He also slammed Bashir’s decrees saying it violated the CPA and was
not made in consultation with GoSS chief Salva Kiir.
UNMIS leadership decided to raise security levels in Abyei to a red.
The new security level restricts movement of its staff members outside
the camp. It requires them to stay either inside their offices,
accommodation or any area identified as safe.
"In the view of prevailing security situation, the alert state is
elevated to red. All movement outside UNMIS camp is restricted until
further notice. All the staff members are advised to stay either
inside their offices, accommodation, or safe area and avoid roaming
about. Should the siren be sounded all staff must immediately proceed
to the bunkers", reads part of the UNMIS statement extended to Sudan
Tribune.
Sudan Tribune reporter said that SAF entered Abyei around 8 pm and
said he was locked in a UN compound surrounded by 15 tanks.
"We are in a state of captivity respecting orders and any other
instructions so many of us did not eat. There is no food. We do not
move and do not receive or makes phone calls. Our fate is at the mercy
of the Sudan Armed Forces with whom United Nations is negotiating" he
said via email.
The North and South are supposed to have withdrawn all of their forces
from Abyei by this week except for a special joint force made up of
units from both sides in accordance with an agreement they signed
earlier this year.
A visiting United Nations Security Council (UNSC) delegation has also
reportedly cancelled a planned visit to Abyei as a result of the
ongoing clashes. However, a meeting was arranged between the council
members and representatives of the Misseriya’s and the Dinka Ngok
tribes who are the main residents of Abyei.
(ST)
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