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August 10 2011 (MALAKAL) - Deng Arop Kuol, a senior member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the former chief administrator of the contested border region of Abyei on Wednesday, accused the Khartoum government of refusing to withdraw its troops from the contested border town of Abyei.
- Deng Arop, former Chief Administrator of Abyei (Xinua)
Kuol said that the town remains under the full control of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since its invasion on 21 May 21 2011, and that there are no signs indicating they will withdraw soon.
“The United Nations has already begun deploying Ethiopian troops to Abyei. About two companies have already been deployed. They have been there for more than three weeks now since they started deploying them early July, but Sudan Army remains in the town” said Kuol in an interview with Sudan Tribune from Juba on Wednesday.
He accused SAF of refusing to withdraw from the area as per the framework agreement which the two parties signed in the Ethiopia capital of Addis Ababa, to end a dispute over the area.
Juac Agok, a deputy chair of the SPLM for the area, in a separate interview with Sudan Tribune from Juba said the town remains under control of SAF. He also accused them of committing atrocities there.
“Our people are around the town. They have gone back to their farms especially those who cultivated in areas of Abothok, Marial, and Agok. All the areas south of Abyei town are inhabited by our people. They [SAF] are only in the town”, said Agok.
The region became a war zone following the SAF invasion in response to alleged attacks by South Sudan’s army. Both parties have agreed that the region be policed by a UN force of Ethiopian troops.
Abyei is in the borderlands between North and South Sudan, which, after decades of civil war, gained its independence on 9 July. Part of the peace agreement signed by both parties in 2005 was the right of the people of Abyei to a popular consultation, which is long overdue.
Deng Thiep Akok, a former Aweil North county commissioner, said in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, that the government in Khartoum invaded Abyei to strengthen its position in post-independence negotiations.
Significant undecided post-secession issues include the distribution of debt and oil-wealth.
“The reasons why Sudan Armed Forces invaded Abyei were clear. They did not want the south to secede from the north. This was why our forces were ordered not to retaliate, not that the Sudan People’s Liberation Army did not want to fight”, he explained.
Akok said the leadership of the former rebel movement turned ruling political party has always made its position clear and known to the international community.
“We do not need any pending issues in the peace to be addressed through armed confrontation. We wanted all pending issues, including issues connected to transitional areas of Abyei, South Kordoan and South Blue Nile to be addressed through peacefully negotiated settlement, with the involvement of international community as they took part in the negotiations of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement”, he said.
He assured the people of Abyei that the SPLM leadership under Salva Kiir will always support them and stand with them even if they are members of the Dinka Ngok ethnic group who wants the region to to be part of North Sudan.
Akok said North Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party is “using their presence in the area as bargaining tool”.
(ST)
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