Local leaders in Abyei are calling for International Community to take over the control of the Oil rich region. It was surprising to have seen a successful peaceful referendum which many International Observers; Carter Center and the European Union observer teams, African Union and the UN taking a lead to say the referendum was incredibly organized.
World “Watch dog”; The United States congratulated both Sudanese embattled President Omar El Bashir and his First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayrdiit for honouring the date of the polls on 9th of January.
The Abyei region was supposed to have simultaneously held a referendum to decide whether to remain part of the Sudan probably soon to be Northern Sudan or to join the South.
The people of the South overwhelmingly voted in favour of separation in which they believe have been years of marginalization before and after independence. The South had always fought to separate from the North since the 1950s with the Anyanya (1955-1972) whose members later formed the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) that forged a peace agreement with Bashir’s Khartoum government in 2005.
Some analysists believe Bashir signed cause of the mounted pressure from international community especially the United States but with less interest at heart. It is this reason that President Bashir hesitated to allow the Southern Referendum but conceded yet again due to the same mounted pressure and United States alleged waiver from the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutions. President Bashir is wanted by ICC for crimes against humanity for the people of Darfur.
No sooner had the Referendum ended than former US Presidential candidate; Democrat Sen. John Kelly who had come to witness the South Sudan referendum informed the press that Abyei Issue was next on the US programs.
“Let’s be clear; Even as today marks the end of one Journey and the beginning of another, a lot of work remains ahead in the very new term in the next months of the CPA before July 9th in order to resolve outstanding issues regarding oil revenues, borders and of course Abyei and Darfur.
Let me make a very strong message today to the citizens-the people of Abyei; Abyei is front on center on the agenda even today, discussions are taking place today, yesterday and will be on going regarding Abyei, Abyei is not being left behind, Abyei is not being forgotten we [US] intend to resolve the issues of Abyei with the close of next weeks or months, and I hope sooner than later”, former US Presidential Contestant assured the World at Juba International Airport in South Sudan.
In Sen. Kelly’s words, his (US) government that assured the World that Abyei issue will be resolved in the short while (sooner than later), when the sooner is to be, remains an ideal than a reality as hundreds of civilian populations suffer and are killed in an economy driven conflict.
Now that much of the World attention seems to be fixed on the Middle East (Arab revolts) in Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, others and of present Col. Gaddafi’s Libya, the hundreds of Abyei people remain at none but the mercy of God.
The South Sudan government Spokesperson in his address to the press this week said the attacks on the civilian population could increase. By the beginning of this week, 7 people had been confirmed dead while as the Minister summoned the press 70 people had been killed, as we talk now, local authorities in the area reports over 100 people dead.
“The areas being attacked are north of Abyei and the people on attack are the Sudanese Armed Forces people and Popular Defense Forces. This morning at nine fifty am, Makir village was completely burned down by the Sudanese Armed Forces which is being claimed to be Misseria and other attacks are pending we don’t know which areas they are going to attack especially in North of Abyei and The result of which we have today seen at nine fifty this morning Makir village was completely burned down.
The citizens of Abyei, the Ngok Dinka in this areas they have been moving southwards because of these continuous attacks and in fact most of the causalities have been the local police plus the civilian population”, The GoSS Spokesperson Mr. Marial Benjamin Barnaba seemed over taken by the trend of events in the region told both Local and International Journalists in Juba.
The United Nation Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) released a statement saying they have reinforced their presence in the area, yet the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), South Sudan’s military force whose mandate as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement is limited on the borders seems optimistic about their help.
"In reaction to the recent clashes north of Abyei town and to prevent an escalation in violence, UNMIS has started to enhance its presence in this location by reinforcing its current capacity of 4 companies with an additional company.
The strengthened deployment will intensify the frequency of both patrols throughout the Abyei Administered Area to provide a continuous rolling presence, as well as foot patrols within Abyei town itself to increase visibility of UNMIS troops while carrying out the mission’s mandated duties", the UNMIS statement read.
Col. Phillip Aguer noted thus:“There are two governments in Sudan, the government of Khartoum; the government of South Sudan in Juba, one government must protect the people of Abyei, I believe the two governments cannot fail, if they fail, to me they should hand over the Issue of Abyei to the International Community because these are people, these are human being and we cannot cry for the violation of human rights, violation of human dignity in Darfur while leaving the same crimes being committed in Abyei, to me we have failed and someone should protect the civil population in Abyei”
With both the Khartoum and the GoSS government co-accusing each other about harbouring each other’s enemy, the people of Abyei seem to continue dying every day and then unless real measures are stepped to condemn and halt the attacks.
The Abyei region remains held hostage by one or any of the side in anticipation of the oil underneath its ground. The Misseria and Ngok Dinka would peacefully co-habitate together if the situation is not driven by oil thirst forces fighting to control this land. One person leave alone 100 deserve not to die because of the natural mineral source located where he/she is staying but rather ought to benefit from it.
Although the comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) provides for these people to take 2% of the oil revenues in the land, they never enjoy this and probably the revenue accrued here is used to kill them.
Over one-third of Sudan’s Oil comes from Abyei.
Confirmed reports coming from the disputed oil rich region of Abyei of Sudan indicate that over 100 people killed in clashes in Abyei region. Thousands of other civilians in areas around Makir village that has reportedly been completely burned down and Tudaf have been forced to flee for their lives, Africanews reliably reports.
Local leaders in Abyei are calling for International Community to take over the control of the Oil rich region. It was surprising to have seen a successful peaceful referendum which many International Observers; Carter Center and the European Union observer teams, African Union and the UN taking a lead to say the referendum was incredibly organized.
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