Thursday, March 28, 2024

Sudan Tribune

Plural news and views on Sudan

There are “misleading voices from Khartoum” over Abyei ruling – Machar

By James Gatdet Dak

July 27, 2009 (JUBA) – The Deputy Chairperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and Vice President of the semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan dismissed, as misleading, claims over participation of other non-Ngok Dinka residents in the upcoming referendum in Abyei in 2011.

Girls from Ngok-Dinka of Abyei holding flowers and waiting to receive SPLM D/Chairperson Dr. Riek Machar and his delegation at Juba airport, July 27, 2009, (photo by James. G. Dak -ST)
Girls from Ngok-Dinka of Abyei holding flowers and waiting to receive SPLM D/Chairperson Dr. Riek Machar and his delegation at Juba airport, July 27, 2009, (photo by James. G. Dak -ST)
President of the Republic of Sudan, Omer Al-Bashir, publicly stated after the Abyei ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague that Misseriya residents in Abyei area would also participate in the 2011 referendum.

Ambassador Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed, head of the National Congress Party (NCP) delegation to the PCA also said the tribunal court had given the Heglig oilfield to Southern Kordofan state in North Sudan.

However, in a brief statement he issued to hundreds of jubilant citizens of Southern Sudan, particularly from Abyei, who converged at Juba airport on Monday to welcome the southern Sudanese delegation returning from The Hague via Khartoum, the SPLM Deputy Chairperson, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, told the crowd that the claims by the NCP leadership over who should vote in Abyei referendum and the fate of Heglig oilfields were misleading.

Accompanied by the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Dr. Luka Biong Deng, Machar, who also headed the SPLM delegation to The Hague’s court, said it was very clear in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that it is the nine Ngok-Dinka chiefdoms that will vote in the referendum to either rejoin the South or remain in the North.

The SPLM Secretary General, Pagan Amum, who received Machar at the airport, said the SPLM was committed to respecting the decision of the court and appreciated the work well done by the SPLM team at The Hague.

In a separate press conference he held shortly after briefing the SPLM Chairperson Salva Kiir Mayardit, Dr. Machar also further explained that the Abyei situation of who should qualify to vote will similarly apply to the South Sudanese referendum. Only non-South Sudanese who had been in the South since 1956 will participate in the referendum in 2011, he added.

“If you ask, for instance, a Bari chief to identify a non-South Sudanese who had been in the area [of Juba] since 1956 he can show you,” he said, referring to non-qualification of residents that migrated to Southern Sudan after 1956 and whose biological link to South Sudanese tribal members are not agreed and confirmed.

On the Heglig oilfield, Machar said the area belongs to Unity state (Upper Nile region). He added this was confirmed that it belonged to Upper Nile region by a committee formed during the government of the High Executive Council in Juba by the former President of the Republic, late Jaafer Mohamed Nimeiri, after the discovery of oil in the area.

“President Omer Al-Bashir knows that Heglig belongs to Unity state. He used to be there himself and knew that the area was in Unity state,” he further explained.

However, Machar added that the Abyei Boundary Commission (ABC) Report included Heglig as part of Abyei in their report which was initially rejected by the NCP in the Presidency in July 2005.

He said for the sake of unity within the SPLM organization and among the people of Southern Sudan, the SPLM thought that the time was not appropriate to contest the ownership of heglig area between Unity state and Abyei at the time.

The SPLM Deputy Chairperson said the party wanted to first settle the issue of Abyei boundaries after which they could resolve the North-South borders that would also settle any dispute over the heglig oilfields.

In the Abyei Road Map agreement of June 2008, heglig area was taken out of Abyei by both the NCP and the SPLM, he said, adding that it was not part of the ruling in The Hague. “It will be resolved in the North-South border demarcation process,” he explained, assuring the crowd that the area was part of Unity state.

Machar said it was unfair and wrong for somebody to say that the South would not get any oil revenue accruing from heglig without looking into the reality of the situation.

He pointed out that the same issue goes with some of the western part of Abyei such as meyrem, which he explained belonged to Northern Bahr el Ghazal, but was said to have been given to the North. “This is not true,” he said.

“There are native residents from the area [Northern Bahr el Ghazal] who used to reside and work in the area even during the construction of the railway [to Wau]. Some are still alive and one of them is now a Presidential Advisor in the Government of Southern Sudan,” Machar further explained, adding that the ownership of the area was very clear.

A committee would soon be formed by the Presidency for the next phase to physically demarcate on the ground the territory of the nine Ngok-Dinka Chiefdoms in accordance with the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, he added.

He called upon the Ngok-Dinka and Misseriya tribes to continue to live as peaceful neighbors.

(ST)

24 Comments

  • Akol Liai Mager
    Akol Liai Mager

    There are “misleading voices from Khartoum” over Abyei ruling – Machar
    What went wrong:

    1. GOSS should have raised the issue with ABC Commission on its Abyei Boarder from day 1 by telling the commission that Panthou is a Unity territory and not Abyei. I don’t know whether GOSS has done that or not someone may verify this.

    2. GOSS should not take an early Oath/Pledge to accept something they are not 100% sure about it.

    3. The issue of Boarder dispute between New and Old Sudans is not an SPLM duty alone, it is a GOSS duty with assistance of all parties within or out of GOSS including INF/DC.

    Now, GOSS have not lost the case, it just needs to challenge court ruling on Panthou and come forward with evidences to convince the court about Panthou belonging to Unity State.

    Reply
  • Oduck Bol
    Oduck Bol

    There are “misleading voices from Khartoum” over Abyei ruling – Machar
    In my opinion this is not a good ideas, to argue for something that is already gone. After you accepted the result with out know the out come of it. Now you want to inform us that court gave our land to Nourth. If court said that Meyrem and Hegilg is belong to north,then we have to accept that without any complain because you promised the court that you are going to accept any bad result to you.

    Reply
  • Jamjamez
    Jamjamez

    There are “misleading voices from Khartoum” over Abyei ruling – Machar
    The Splm should not be conflicting their report after analyzing the public reaction about given pathou to north. This name heglig was impose in 1999 and they used to uproot people who were found settled in the area by force. Governor Taban Deng gai gave into their demand allow them to uproot people and now they called it their land. See the effects of bribery that the governor took? its now affect the whole state.
    You should fight well through law before we come because I will personally humilate such people infront of the panel very soon.
    good luck!

    Reply
  • James Riak
    James Riak

    There are “misleading voices from Khartoum” over Abyei ruling – Machar
    Bravo, Dr Machar and the SPLM leadership for assuring the people of South Sudan, that the ruling does not include Heglig and Megrem.
    The people of South Sudan are behind you to give you due support on this, we are all aware, the ruling did not discussed North – South border, therefore be very tactical in dealing with the snake in the house.
    The NCP are rally behind this ruling looking for any possible opportunity to disrupt peace, that was why they were quick to say, they will not remit any Oil from Heglig to South Sudan Government, therefore be very strong to solve this mater as quick as possible and for all.

    Reply
  • Lawrence
    Lawrence

    There are “misleading voices from Khartoum” over Abyei ruling – Machar
    Dr. Machar, you and the leadership of SPLM have all the right to claim ownership of Panthou(Heglig) oil field which has ever been part of Southern Sudan. There was some biasness by declaring Panthou(Heglig) to be part of the north and allowing the Misieriya to graze their livestocks freely in the territory declared to belong to South Sudan.Remember you made an expensive error by putting your signature on the paper and declaring that Southerners have accepted the Arbitration ruling. This is the second time that such expensive error is being made by south Sudanese delegation.

    The first one was in 1952 when the British was handing over independence to Sudanese where the delegation members from South Sudan were bribed and they ended up signing for unity with Arabs. Am told the British had cautioned Southerners to claim for self determination after which separetion could take place. The delegation turned down this warning and instead it demanded unity. The story is a long one.

    Apparently, i do not know how you Dr. Machar and your team can alter your statement from the papers and minds of the international community. You should have deffered the ceremony and returned to Juba for consultation like SPLM/A did many times to arrive on the final day in Naivasha, 2005.

    Reply
  • Man of facts
    Man of facts

    There are “misleading voices from Khartoum” over Abyei ruling – Machar
    Southern sudanese will never keep silent on issues regarding the boarder of their ancestrial father which was
    bought using money we people got in their land.Believe me or not!
    What do know about southern/North boarder? things have already pouered out into thin air.We have representives to
    guide the right of southerners though not running our immediate, then God is behind us Ibelieve.
    Thanks
    Man of facts is southern sudanese and Equatorian by native

    Reply
  • Abok Kiir Dau
    Abok Kiir Dau

    There are “misleading voices from Khartoum” over Abyei ruling – Machar
    By Abok Kiir

    Well done Dr. Machar, it was really a very big shock to all Southern Sudanase and specially to Unity State when misleading voices from Khartoum were heard from NCP delegation, that the court ruled Heglig oil field, Merem, Karsana, Kor machar (Jaw) and Jebel kurudi as parts of South Kordofan. That wasn’t true; a complete shock to all of us, since we all know that those areas belong to South Sudan. Their claims began since the oil was discovered in those places and I hope GOSS will try as much as they can to solve this issue in order to maintain peaceful coexistence in the neighbourhood.

    In addition, it was unfair for sure to say that the South Sudan will not get any oil revenue, which gave us no hope on how our country will be develop if such things happen, Other wise good lack SPLM/A we appreciate what ever your are doing and we are behind you, although we are far.

    Reply
  • Mr. Rat Rebites
    Mr. Rat Rebites

    There are “misleading voices from Khartoum” over Abyei ruling – Machar
    I don’t think south sudanese really understand English as an international language.

    To me the PCA ruling only demarcated the 9 chiefdoms of Ngok-Mounjang that were transfered to the north 104 years ago(and if am not mistaken abyiei is still to decide if she will come back to south or remain as part of north sudan as it was 104 years ago).

    If you people study the map clearly(iam a physicist), you will find that the north south borderline of 1956 reads 10deg’N22deg’E that would even ly 20 miles from PCA current abyiei ruled boundary. so there is no way Heglig(panthou) that was forcely ruled to the north just 10 years ago will be part of the north.

    what i know if you know is that Arab are playing word sworded game to see how stupidly south sudanese have understood the ruling.

    Otherwise dont rule Heglig(panthou) to the north by ur own words.

    Mr. Rat Rebites from AkangBang.

    Reply
  • Man of facts
    Man of facts

    There are “misleading voices from Khartoum” over Abyei ruling – Machar
    Dear majak.

    Go back and read the ruling on Abeyi boarder demarcation
    again.
    Heglig oil field is under the part of unity state which belongs to south sudan. Spla were not waging civil war b,se of
    this oil field only but democracy.You need to appreciate
    splm for thier hard work to demarcate Abeyi boarder wshich had never been before.

    Are you ready to it again?

    man of facts the brother to logic boy

    Reply
  • mayombo
    mayombo

    There are “misleading voices from Khartoum” over Abyei ruling – Machar
    Atlast your senses are comeing Dr machar if you could talk with alot of unity in you the so-call Arab would have suffer in the hand of Southerners good commen good leadership

    Reply
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.