Machar calls on Abyei citizens to go home and prepare for envisaged referendum
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July 21, 2013 (JUBA) - South Sudan’s vice-president, Riek Machar Teny,
has called on sons and daughters of Ngok Dinka chiefdoms of Abyei to
return home and prepare themselves for the expected referendum
exercise on self-determination in October this year.
JPEG - 12.5 kb
South Sudan vice-president Riek Machar (Reuters/Thomas Mukoya)
In accordance with the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed
by Juba and Khartoum which ended 21 years of war between the two
regions of the former one Sudan, the Ngok Dinka people of Abyei were
supposed to simultaneously conduct the plebiscite in January 2011 when
the people of South Sudan were deciding their destiny and voted for
independence.
The exercise in Abyei failed to take place due to disagreements
between Juba and Khartoum over who can take part in this crucial vote.
While Juba says only the Ngok Dinka - who belong to the greater Dinka
ethnic group in South Sudan - should vote, Khartoum wants the nomadic
Misseriya tribe to equally participate in the vote.
The two sides have also failed to agree on the composition and
leadership of the temporary Abyei administration, that will organise
the conduct of the envisaged referendum.
Sudan has demanded the formation of a joint Abyei administration and
recognition of the Misseriya as residents of the area and for them to
participate in the referendum vote, without limiting their rights to
access water and pastures.
Under the mediation of the African Union High Implementation Panel
(AUHIP), chaired by the former South African president Thabo Mbeki,
the two sides tentatively agreed to the possibility of conducting the
referendum in October this year if they could thresh out the
outstanding issues in time.
In a campaign to mobilise the people of Abyei to return in
preparations for the referendum, the leaders of Abyei community in
Juba on Saturday organised a ceremony, which Machar addressed as the
chief guest.
During his speech, the vice-president challenged the citizens of Abyei
to show their seriousness by returning to Abyei and participate in the
registration for the expected exercise.
The law requires that a citizen of Abyei must register within the
Abyei area three months before the conduct of the referendum.
Most of the Ngok Dinka people are believed to have been scattered all
over South Sudan, while some are still in Sudan.
Some are holding senior positions in South Sudan’s government,
including the recently sacked minister of cabinet affairs, Deng Alor
Kuol and the Inspector General of Police, Pieng Deng Kuol.
Machar, however, told the thousands of the citizens of Abyei gathered
in Juba that the mobilisation was not for war with Khartoum, but was
meant for a peaceful and lawful exercise of the referendum.
SUDAN REJECTS AU PROPOSAL
Sudan last year rejected a proposal submitted by the African Union
mediation aiming at breaking the deadlock over Abyei referendum,
saying it ignored that the eligibility of Misseriya was the main cause
of discord.
Khartoum, in its rejection letter, said the proposal should abide by
the 2005 peace deal which provided a specific protocol on the future
of Abyei and the 2010 Abyei Referendum Act.
Meanwhile, the Misseriya Arab tribe recently renewed their rejection
AUHIP proposal for holding a referendum in Abyei area this October.
The Misseriya’s paramount chief, Mukhtar Babo Nimir, told the
pro-government Sudan Media Center (SMC) website that a referendum
without engaging them will be doomed to "failure".
(ST)
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