Al-Khair al-Fahim of the Abeyei Joint Oversight Committee. He has criticized the role of the United Nations in the contested border area between Sudan and South Sudan., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Sudan official criticises Abyei peacekeepers over presence of rebels
August 10, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Al-Khair Al-Fahim, co-chair of Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC), has slammed the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) for turning a blind eye to the presence of Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) in the region.
The pro-government Sudanese Media Center (SMC) website cited Al-Fahim as saying that SRF insurgents are now stationed in East Abyei and called on the UN force to expel them from the area.
The Sudan-backed Misseriya official met with African Union (AU) envoy Boshoko Maqati on Saturday and discussed with him re-launching AJOC meetings which al-Fahim said were suspended due to the intransigence of South Sudan and the heavy presence of SRF forces east of Abyei.
Sudan continuously accuses Juba of backing SRF insurgents.
Al-Fahim underscored the need for implementing the process of enhancing peaceful coexistence between the Misseriya and the Dinka Ngok tribes who are aligned with South Sudan.
He pledged to continue AJOC meetings in order to reach agreement on the composition of civil institutions and police and also praised the role of the AU in following issues of the region to achieve peace and stability.
Maqati for his part, reiterated AU commitment to fully resolve the issues of Abyei to achieve peaceful coexistence and repairing the social fabric between of the Misseriya and Dinka Ngok peoples.
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, Abyei was supposed to conduct a referendum in January 2011 on whether they want to join Sudan or South Sudan.
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 Dinka Ngok - 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.
(ST)
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