Sudan, South Sudan Officials Vow to Settle Abyei Dispute

Hemetti arriving at a lunch organized by Abyei businessmen in Juba on 26 August 2020 (ST photo)

August 26, 2020 

(JUBA) - South Sudanese and Sudanese officials Thursday vowed to settle the issue of the disputed border area of Abyei after the end of the Juba process for peace in Sudan.

Abyei businessmen organized a lunch for the chairman of the Sudanese government negotiating team Mohamed Hamdan Daglo aka Hemetti who is also the deputy head of the Sovereign Council.

The lunch was also attended by the South Sudanese Vice-President Hussein Abdelbagi and the mediation team particularly Tut Gatluak and Dhieu Matouk.

Speaking at the event, Abdelbagi called to hold a referendum in Abyei to decide on the fate of the area which is inhabited by the Ngok Dinka and Messeriya tribes.

"We want to implement the opinion of the people of Abyei, whether they joined South Sudan or Sudan because we want to achieve complete stability in Sudan," he said.

"Until December, we want to achieve peace in Abyei and peace in Sudan," he further said.

For his part, Hemetti hailed the efforts of the South Sudanese government to achieve peace in Sudan and vowed to launch a process on Abyei at the end of the current peace process.

"The solution to the Abyei crisis is a priority for us. God willing, after the end of the peace process, we will form our committees and start directly on the Abyei issue," he said.

Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that allowed South Sudan independence, the residents of the Abyei Area should decide whether they want to join South Sudan or to remain in Sudan.

However, the two sides failed to determine who is eligible to take part in the vote.

(ST)