May 3, 2013 (JUBA) - South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir, says the fate of Abyei - a key disputed oil-producing border region - remains his government's top priority following the country's secession from Sudan in July 2011.
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- South Sudanese President Salva Kiir (REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
His comments have raised expectations that direct negotiations on the issue may push way for some progress when he visits Khartoum to witness delivery of the first oil shipment to international markets through Sudanese territory.
President Kiir's imminent visit to Khartoum, will be his first since October 2011.
South Sudan suspended oil-production more than a year ago over a dispute related to transit fees Khartoum was requesting from Juba for usage of its pipelines.
However, relations have dramatically improved since March when both sides said they would implement a Cooperation Agreement signed in September 2012.
Sudan's president Omer Hassan al-Bashir then visited Juba with a high-level delegation in April, for the first time since he attended South Sudan's independence celebrations.
However, the closed door talks with Kiir brought no breakthrough on the thorny issues of Abyei.
Kiir sought to maintain a previous arrangement over legislative and executive power sharing in the area's local administration which gives South Sudan's ruling Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) 60% and Sudan's governing National Congress Party (NCP) 40%, but Bashir argued for an equal distribution of the seats in the council.
Speaking to reporters shortly after meeting cabinet minister, Deng Alor Kuol, on Thursday, Kon Manyieth, a former head of physical infrastructure in the Abyei Area Administration (AAA), said he had come to Juba with greetings and to update the leadership on the current situation in the area.
The official who led the local delegation said he had a "fruitful" briefing with minister Kuol, who, in return, briefed them about his April visit to the United States and the African Union headquarters in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa for diplomatic talks over the Abyei issue.
“Our meeting with cabinet affairs minister Deng Alor Kuol was fruitful. We briefed him about general situation of the area, particularly about the massive settlement plan of members of the Misseriya who are getting direct support from the government of Sudan to the area. The other matter and the main reason of the visit is the continued killing and raiding of cattle and burning of villages in the area by the government of Sudan backed militia group”, Kon told journalists Thursday.
As per the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement South Sudan wants a referendum to be help in the area, with only those who are permanently residents in the area allowed to vote. Juba defines this a predominantly members of Dinka Ngok, who would be expected to vote for Abyei to become part of South Sudan.
However the plebiscite, originally scheduled for January 2011, has been delayed over disputes over who is eligible to take vote and the composition of the relevant institutions. Khartoum argues that members of the Arab nomadic Misseriya tribe, who enter the fertile area with their cattle for some time of the year should also be allowed to cast a ballot.
The AU's Sudan mediator Thabo Mbeki seemed to agree with South Sudan and presented a proposal which would effectively leave out the nomadic Misseriya. But Sudan has summarily dismissed Mbeki's proposal.
Kon said the reason for the alleged attacks on the area is part of the Sudanese government's strategic plan, aiming to sabotage and deter the natives of Abyei from returning to their original places north of the town so that they do not participate in the upcoming referendum vote.
The African Union has proposed that the poll be conducted in October this year.
“The massive settlement plan of the members of the Misseriya in the area and the continued killing and burning of the villages is a political scheme of the government of Sudan. The strategic objective is to deter our people from returning to their original places north of Abyei. These are part of the strategic plans of the government of Sudan. We know it very well. So we have to alert our leadership and our people who are living here in Juba and in other states of South Sudan”, he said.
Meanwhile, Minister Deng Alor Kuol, according to Kon, said president Kiir assured him that the issue of Abyei remains a top priority of post-secession issues still to be settled with the government of Sudan.
“Minister Deng Alor also briefed us of his meeting with the president Salva Kiir after his recent visit to the US and Addis Ababa to brief him and the president assured him of his commitment to pursue the issue of Abyei as one of his top priorities. He said the president said the issue of Abyei remains top priority of the post secession issues to be settled with Sudan”, Kon explained.
SERIOUS DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT
South Sudan's Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Nhial Deng Nhial, said Friday his country is seriously engaging Sudan in diplomatic discussions over the area.
"There is a very serious effort under way to get talks to convince Sudan to accept the African proposal as the basis of resolving the conflict over the area. A lot of resorts are being devoted. Much of the time and efforts are given to the issue of Abyei. We are engaging Sudan to accept the African proposal because it is the only way differences as these are resolved in the entire world. Referendum is always the solution”, Nhial said in a separate interview with Sudan Tribune on Friday.
(ST)