Press Release from Dr. Luka Biong, Co-Chair Abyei Joint Oversight Committee
RELEASE, October 3, 2011RoSS Co-chair of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee accuses the Government of Sudan of Lying to the People of Sudan and South Sudan to justify the presence of its forces in Abyei area and calls upon international community to Act. Juba, South Sudan: The Government of Sudan is playing on what it believes is the ignorance of the people of Sudan and South Sudan regarding the terms of the latest Abyei agreement signed in Addis Ababa in June (“June Agreement”). In recent reports the Government of Sudan states that Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) will not withdraw from Abyei Area until the complete deployment of UN peacekeeping forces provided by Ethiopia. In other reports the Sudan Government makes the withdrawal of its forces from Abyei area conditional to the establishment of administration in Abyei area.
There is no ambiguity here: the Government of Sudan is lying to the people and the people deserve to know the contents of the agreement itself. The June Agreement says the following: First, in Section (I) it provides for “the redeployment of Sudanese military forces (Sudan Armed Forces and Sudan People’s Liberation Army) from Abyei Area, immediately consequent on the deployment of an Interim Security Force for Abyei (ISFA) composed of Ethiopian troops.”
The ISFA forces have deployed over 1,800 soldiers that largely outnumbering the SAF forces in the area. If the UN wishes to supplement these forces and their equipment after the rainy season that is up to them, but their capacity to protect civilians is undeniable and specific force strength was never agreed to by the parties or made a precondition to the SAF and SPLA withdrawal from the area.
Second, undermining the Government of Sudan’s arguments further, the June Agreement further states in Section IV (Security arrangements) that “With the exception of ISFA, the Abyei Area shall be demilitarized. Any SAF and SPLA forces shall redeploy out of the Area. Henceforth, all other forces, apart from the ISFA shall remain outside of the boundaries of Abyei Area, as defined by the Permanent Court of Arbitration.” Again, there is nothing here that preconditions the withdrawal of armed forces on either the status of the Abyei Administration or some fiction regarding what constitutes the “complete deployment” of the ISFA forces
. Also, nothing in the provisions of the Agreement regarding the formation of the Abyei Administration (Section I) or the mandate of the UNISFA forces (Section V) mention SAF or SPLA withdrawals – not expressly or even impliedly. Furthermore, when SAF spokesman states that “A withdrawal without the complete deployment of the Ethiopian troops would disrupt Abyei's administration.”
Let us be clear again. The only think disrupting the administration and the residents of Abyei area is the presence of SAF forces in Abyei area that inhibits smooth return of the displaced population to their home areas. Equally, the refusal of the Government of Sudan to present a nomination for the Speaker of the Abyei Area Council that is a resident of the area and member of the Ngok Dinka community is the reason for the delay in the formation of Abyei Administration.
Although this was not explicitly mentioned in the agreement but it was a gentleman agreement with an express commitment that President Bashir himself made to President Meles upon signing the June Agreement. Mr. Pagan Amum knows this, President Meles knows this and President Bashir himself knows this understanding for the position of Speaker of Abyei Area Council to be held by a member of Ngok Dinka but a nominee of NCP.The motives are clear. The Government of Sudan is trying to deceive the people to justify the illegal presence of its forces in Abyei area.
The Government of Sudan believes that the mere presence of its forces in Abyei area (even if outnumbered by UNISFA forces) will keep the true residents of Abyei from returning to their home areas and sharing space with the very forces that maimed and terrorized them only months ago. There is no other reason to keep the SAF forces in Abyei area as they have no security function in the area after the deployment of UNISFA forces that are the only forces mandated to protect the civilians in the area. The Government of Sudan simply believes that as long as their soldiers are in Abyei area, the Ngok Dinka will not return, no referendum will be held, no final status will be achieved and Sudan will continue to act as if Abyei is part of Sudan. Neither the Government of South Sudan nor the international community can permit this unjustifiable presence of SAF forces in Abyei area.
We call upon the African Union, IGAD, UN Security Council and other UN and AU member states to call upon President Bashir to immediately withdraw his forces from Abyei area and to take more effective measures to effect the immediate withdrawal of SAF forces from Abyei area. Also given the dual jurisdiction of Abyei area and as the displaced population intend to return to their home areas and on the basis of international law on humanitarian access, we call upon the international community and UN to effect free humanitarian access to Abyei area from both South and North.
For more information, contact Dr. Luka Biong Deng at +249122635821; +249911308196; +256477106201; +2026440235