If UN/AU fail to get Khartoum out of Abyei, the SPLA is ready to go in - Marial
The Citizen Juba, 19/05/12 - The Minister of Information and Broadcasting Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin told The Citizen in an interview yesterday that the United Nations Security Council and the African Union should inform South Sudan if they have failed to force Khartoum troops out of Abyei since the deadline given to both countries to withdraw their military forces from Abyei has already expired. This will make South Sudan to send the SPLA in to restore order since there is a vacuum in public security in the area where over 100,000 civilians are exposed to lawlessness. Speaking to The Citizen, Dr. Marial said South Sudan has complied with all the requirements and demands of the United Nations Security Council and African Union while Khartoum has refused categorically to comply with any of these resolutions. “We would like to make it very clear that we have complied with UNSC request of resolution number 2046, we have withdrawn our police force even before the deadline and our President Gen Salva Kiir has a formed his negotiating team for African Union facilitated peace process. Our team is ready,” said Marial He said besides withdrawing its police force from Abyei and SPLA forces from Panthou/Heglieg due to demands and pressure from the AU and UNSC, he said the United Nations Security Council and African Union should tell South Sudan if they have failed to force the Khartoum military out of Abyei so that SPLA forces can return to the place. He said the United Nations Security Council has full responsibility to make sure Khartoum withdraws its forces within the timeframe given. He added that the Khartoum has exceeded the deadline and it is the duty of the UN Security Council and AU to use Chapter Seven to force Khartoum out of Abyei. “We move out of Abyei because the United Nations Security Council asked us to do so. Why are they not making the other side to leave Abyei when the deadline has already passed?” asked Marial. He said a population of over 100,000 people has been left in Abyei without police looking after them and the UN forces in Abyei said they don’t have enough forces to administer and set laws and orders in the whole area. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob?hl=en.
