Central Sudan: Demarcation of Abyei boundary will start in September - North-South border committee findings due in September

Today, Sudanese Foreign Minister Deng Alor Kual confirmed that demarcation of the Abyei boundary will take place on the ground in September under the supervision of a panel of international experts:

"There will be surveyors: two from the SPLM, two from the National Congress and the Government of National Unity together with international experts. The American government will send its experts and they will go on the ground and survey the area and this will happen in September.

A permanent Administration for Abyei area will be formed in order to run the affairs of the Abyei area over the coming eighteen months in order to prepare the people of Abyei for a special referendum in which the people of Abyei will decide whether they belong to Bahr el-Ghazal or to Southern Kordofan."

The ruling of the Abyei tribunal in The Hague was only to determine the boundaries of nine Ng’ok Dinka chiefdoms in Abyei and not the south-north boundary.  There is already a north-south committee to discuss and to demarcate the north-south border. It’s that body that will determine the boundary of the north-south border.  The north-south border committee is expected to present its findings in September this year.

Source: Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 28 July 2009.  Full story:
PCA: A Win-Win Decision Says Deng Alor

(Khartoum) – The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deng Alor Kual, has confirmed that the demarcation of the Abyei boundary will start in September under the supervision of a panel of international experts.

Speaking in Khartoum on Monday, Alor, who is also a member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, said that although the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling was a “win-win” decision, the Dinka Ngok had lost part of their land to the Misseriya Arabs. The SPLM accepted the verdict in order to avert a return to war between southern and northern Sudan.

[Deng Alor Kual]: “The court’s decision was a success and the decision has no winner or loser, it is a “win-win” situation. We have lost some parts [of the land] but we are committed to this decision and next September demarcation will take place on the ground in Abyei. There will be surveyors: two from the SPLM, two from the National Congress and the Government of National Unity together with international experts. The American government will send its experts and they will go on the ground and survey the area and this will happen in September”.

Alor announced that a permanent Administration for Abyei area will be formed in order to run the affairs of the Abyei area over the coming eighteen months in order to prepare the people of Abyei for a special referendum in which the people of Abyei will decide whether they belong to Bahr el-Ghazal or to Southern Kordofan.

Alor declared that the Dinka Ngok will respect the PCA verdict and will allow the Misseriya to cross the Dinka Ngok area, taking their cattle in search of grazing and watering, but they should respect the border.

[Deng Alor Kual]: “The common people have no problem, the problem is the politicians. We have no problem with the Misseriya, they will pass through Abyei and will continue to travel with their cows. Nobody will prevent them but they must know that there is a border. There was a rumor that the area of Deng Alor had fallen under the jurisdiction of the north and some newspapers reported that the Minister of Foreign Affairs was now a northern Sudanese and I told them there is no problem, all this time I have been a northerner [laughter….] and up to now northern Sudan and southern Sudan are one country until the time comes for the referendum.”

Alor is urging southern Sudanese in northern Sudan to return home before the 2011 referendum.

Photo: Sudanese Foreign Minister Deng Alor Kuol talks following his meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, not pictured at the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Nov. 02, 2008. The Egyptian Presidency logo is at background. Source: AP/Amr Nabil/Yahoo/Sudan Watch archives Nov. 29, 2008 - Qatari Peace Bid: UN, EU, AU, AL, UK, US & France support the joint Arab-African peace initiative for Darfur led by Qatar & Sudan People's Forum)
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Biong On Boundaries and the North-South Committee
From Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 28 July 2009:

(Juba) – A senior SPLM member says the ruling of the Abyei tribunal in The Hague was only to determine the boundaries of nine Ng’ok Dinka chiefdoms in Abyei and not the south-north boundary.

The GOSS Minister for Presidential Affairs, Luka Biong, spoke to Sudan Radio Service by phone from Juba on Tuesday. Biong was in the SPLM delegation that went to The Hague for the announcement of the court.

[Luke Biong]: “I think the most important thing that people should know is that the court or the Abyei tribunal has no mandate to discuss the issue about the south-north border. It was only mandated to define the nine Ng’ok chiefdoms transferred to Kordofan from Bahr el-Ghazal in 1905. It has no mandate to determine the borders between the south and north. There is already a north-south committee to discuss and to demarcate the north-south border. It’s that body that will determine the boundary of the north-south border. I think those people who are claiming now that Heglig is part of the north are absolutely mistaken and these are the people who are trying to trigger unnecessary conflict because there are very important documents with the committee and we should be waiting for the committee to establish the location of the Heglig area. I think people should also know that there are many oil fields that are now considered as part of the north. We are saying, let us wait for the north-south border committee report. Any attempt to claim any area at this particular point will be tantamount to spoiling peace, creating tension and conflict which we should avoid.”

Biong said that the north-south border committee is expected to present its findings in September this year.

[Luka Biong]: “The north-south committee is one of the committees that is provided for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The committee went to work immediately after the formation of the interim period between the 1st January 2005 and July 2009. So it is established already. We are expecting the committee to come with a report by September this year, that’s why we say that we should be waiting for the report of the committee.”

Biong went on to explain the issue of who will be eligible to vote in referendum for Abyei.

[Luka Biong –Eng]: “A very fundamental issue people should know is that in the Abyei area, although predominantly Ng’ok Dinka, maybe there are other Sudanese who settled a long time ago in the Abyei area. And these are the people who may vote with the people of Abyei when they are deciding whether they want to join the south or to remain in the north. So it is not open to anybody, it is exactly like southern Sudan, there will be a referendum and we have defined who is a southern Sudanese and who is going to be eligible to vote in the referendum for the right to self-determination. It is defined in article 9 of the constitution of southern Sudan that those who will be voting are the indigenous communities of southern Sudan. If you are from one of these communities of southern Sudan, you are entitled to vote. It is exactly the same for the Abyei area, only the nine Ng’ok chiefdoms and the citizens, that is the people of Ng’ok, are the ones going to vote and any other citizen that has been residing in the area based on the criteria to be developed by what we call the Abyei referendum commission. This commission is going to set the criteria for the other residents that will be able to vote in the referendum.”

That was the GOSS Minister for Presidential Affairs, Luka Biong, speaking to Sudan Radio Service on Tuesday

Click on Abyei label here below for related reports and latest updates.

S. Kordofan: Heglig, the biggest oil field in Sudan, could be a source of potential conflict between SPLM and NCP

Heglig, the biggest oil field in Sudan, could be a source of potential conflict between the SPLM and the NCP. Sudan Radio Service spoke to political analyst Mahjoub Mohamed Saleh from Khartoum on Monday who explained that:

"As long as Unity state is one of the ten southern states it means that Heglig belongs to the south. The ABC report said Heglig is part of Abyei, the PCA said it is not part of Abyei. The southerners are saying if the PCA has removed Heglig from the Abyei area, it should be part of Unity state. The north is saying no, it should be included in Southern Kordofan state. This is the situation now. There is no confusion in the PCA’s verdict regarding Heglig oil field, the PCA’s decision has redrawn the eastern boundary of Abyei which was stipulated in the ABC report. It arbitrates on a certain longitude which excludes Heglig out of Abyei province. The SPLM says it is out of Abyei province but it lies inside Unity state, and Unity state is a southern state. So these are new disagreements and have nothing to do with Abyei.” 

Full story from Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 27 July 2009: Where is Heglig? An Analyst Explains

(Khartoum) – Heglig, the biggest oil field in Sudan, could be a source of potential conflict between the SPLM and the NCP, following the verdict by the Permanent Court of Arbitration which has placed Heglig and Bamboo oil fields outside the Abyei boundaries. Sudan Radio Service spoke to political analyst Mahjoub Mohamed Saleh from Khartoum on Monday. [Mahjoub Mohamed Saleh]: “There is no confusion in the PCA’s verdict regarding Heglig oil field, the PCA’s decision has redrawn the eastern boundary of Abyei which was stipulated in the ABC report. It arbitrates on a certain longitude which excludes Heglig out of Abyei province. The SPLM says it is out of Abyei province but it lies inside Unity state, and Unity state is a southern state. So these are new disagreements and have nothing to do with Abyei.” Since the two partners have reaffirmed their satisfaction with the PCA’s verdict regarding the Abyei boundaries, Mahjoub explains the source of the disagreements. [Mahjoub Mohamed Saleh]: “The south thinks that it (Heglig) belongs to Unity state according to a previous decree made by the former late president Jafar Nimery. Since he had established Unity state he decreed that Heglig becomes part of Unity state. It was named Unity because it had united the south and the north together, that was the logic. But they are saying that as long as Unity state is one of the ten southern states it means that Heglig belongs to the south. The ABC report said Heglig is part of Abyei, the PCA said it is not part of Abyei. The southerners are saying if the PCA has removed Heglig from the Abyei area, it should be part of Unity state. The north is saying no, it should be included in Southern Kordofan state. This is the situation now.” The SPLM said it is prepared to refer the issue of the Heglig oil fields to the PCA, if necessary. However Mahjoub says that the PCA has already announced its final decision regarding Abyei issue. [Mahjoub Mohamed Saleh]: “The court has no other business regarding this issue, it had announced its arbitration as the case was presented by the two parties, and both of them have accepted and welcomed the verdict, finish.” Mahjoub Mohamed Saleh, a political analyst, was speaking to Sudan Radio Service from Khartoum.

- - - USAID 2001 Sudan Oil & Gas Concessions Map Click here to view large version of the following map from Wikipedia.  Click, once or twice, on image at Wikipedia to see full screen size. Heglig, the largest oil field in Sudan

Click here to view Heglig pin pointed on the following map from Wikipedia. Heglig Location in Sudan Coordinates: 11°59′N 27°53′E Country: Sudan State: South Kurdufan Heglig (also spelled Heglieg) is a small town in South Kurdufan state in central Sudan, near the border with Southern Sudan. The area was contested during the Sudanese Civil War. The South Sudanese Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) rebels attacked the oil rigs of Heglig to damage this important source of revenue for the Sudanese government. Heglig oil field Heglig is situated within the Muglad Basin, a rift basin which contains much of Sudan's proven oil reserves. The Heglig oil field was first developed in 1996 by Arakis Energy (now part of Talisman Energy).[1] Today it is operated by the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company.[2] Production at Heglig is reported to have peaked in 2006 and is now in decline.[3] The Heglig oil field is connected to Khartoum and Port Sudan via the Greater Nile Oil Pipeline. (Source: Wikipedia) Click here to view larger image of map above showing Sudan's pipeline, North-South boundary, Abyei and oil concessions. Image source: www.stratfor.com

Faina cargo: Final destination of the tanks is a compound N.E. of Juba controlled by the military wing of the South Sudan Army?

According to the following article by British journalist Fred Bridgland in Johannesburg, the mystery of what happened to 33 Russian-made T-72 combat tanks discovered by Somali pirates aboard a Ukrainian ship they hijacked ten months ago has been solved.  I wonder how Mr Bridgland can be so sure.  The story has taken so many twists and turns I think he ought to have prefaced the statement 'has been solved' with a few words such as 'it would appear'.  

See Jane's intelligence report reprinted at Sudan Watch July 19, 2009: MV Faina cargo: 100 tanks were ordered by Government of South Sudan - and note this excerpt that shows Mr Bridgland has jumped to conclusions and made stuff up by stating that the 'final destination of the tanks is a compound northeast of Juba controlled by the military wing of the South Sudan Army':

"... Since March, however, eyewitness reports, some corroborated by photographic evidence, have placed the tanks elsewhere. At the same time, extensive construction has been ongoing at a military compound of the Sudan People's Liberation Army.

Jane's began an extensive satellite imagery canvass of the area in March, aiming to trace the movement of T-72s from Mombasa towards South Sudan. While the analysis does not conclude that the tanks aboard the Faina were in transit towards their ostensible rightful owners, it does show a pattern of tanks making their way north.

Also, note Mr Bridgland states that South Sudan is stockpiling weapons in case civil war reignites.  How does he know, I wonder.  Considering he is a veteran reporter, I find his irresponsible reporting disgraceful. More on him at the end of this blog post.  

From Sunday Herald - 'Scotland's award-winning independent newspaper' Saturday, 26 July 2009, by Fred Bridgland in Johannesburg
Murky global arms trail leads to volatile South Sudan

SUDAN: Tanks traced via satellite imagery to region stockpiling weapons in case civil war reignites

From Fred Bridgland in Johannesburg

THE MYSTERY of what happened to 33 Russian-made T-72 combat tanks discovered by Somali pirates aboard a Ukrainian ship they hijacked ten months ago has been solved.

The tanks, with enormous fire-power and each weighing 41 tonnes, have begun arriving - in breach of a peace agreement - in the semi-autonomous province of South Sudan, according to Jane's, the world's leading military intelligence publisher.

The T-72s aboard the MV Faina were one of three clandestine tank and heavy weapons deliveries to South Sudan accidentally revealed to the world by the pirates. The tanks were being sent to South Sudan in preparation for a new war in case Sudan's 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) - brokered by Norway, Britain and the US - collapsed.

Fortunately, the 110-year-old Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague last week reached a decision on the disputed Abyei region which has probably saved the CPA and has paved the way to a referendum on South Sudan's secession and independence from Sudan in 18 months' time.

South Sudan is certain to vote for independence from Sudan, Africa's biggest state, setting a precedent in Africa, whose organisations have previously maintained that the continent's post-colonial boundaries are inviolate.

The oil-rich and well-watered Abyei region straddles the border between South Sudan and the powerful north, with its capital in Khartoum, and was claimed by both sides. North-South fighting there last year left more than 100 dead and the main town, Abyei, reduced to ashes. It also threatened to trigger again the country's 22-year civil war which was ended by the CPA. It is estimated more than two million people died in the conflict, with four million becoming refugees.

The five-judge Permanent Court of Arbitration redrew Abyei's borders and the compromise has been accepted by both the Sudan government in Khartoum and the semi-autonomous South Sudan administration in Juba.

In a story worthy of John Le Carré, Jane's, citing satellite and intelligence evidence, traced the circuitous journey of the tanks and other weapons aboard the MV Faina from 25 September last year, the day Somali buccaneers hoisted themselves aboard the ship and the 17-member crew surrendered. The Faina's captain, Vladimir Kolobkov, died of a heart attack soon after the hijack and his captors put his body in the ship's freezer for later return to his family.

Once aboard, the pirates discovered that, in addition to the T-72s, there were also six anti-aircraft guns, 150 grenade launchers and thousands of tonnes of small arms and ammunition.

The pirates demanded a ransom of US$20 million for the release of the Faina, its crew and cargo, triggering more than three months of negotiations. Finally, with the Faina surrounded by the United States' 5th Fleet and the pirates threatening to blow up the ship unless their demands were met, they settled for $3.2m, paid in dollar bills which were parachuted on to the Faina's deck from a light aircraft.

The question was: where would the Faina head next? Its original destination was the Kenyan port of Mombasa. The Kenyan government claimed the Russian tanks were intended for its army, even though its small armed forces were entirely equipped with British and American weaponry.

However, Edward Mwangura, head of the Mombasa-based non-profit East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme, which works to free ships held by Somali sea raiders, said he was convinced the tanks were intended for South Sudan. Among his evidence, he said, was the Kenyan government's inability to produce certificates proving ownership of the weaponry.

Mwangura was arrested by Kenyan security forces and charged with "making alarming statements to foreign media touching on the security of the country".

But Jane's last week confirmed the accuracy of Mwangura's allegation. The popular Seafarers' Assistance chairman, subsequently released from detention, is to be the subject of a Hollywood film with Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L Jackson as Mwangura.

Jane's said that once the ransom had been paid the tanks were unloaded in Mombasa and taken to Kahawa army base outside Nairobi.

It said satellite imagery surveillance from March onwards showed "a pattern of tanks making their way north" from Nairobi to the South Sudan border.

Again via satellite imagery, Jane's identified the final destination of the tanks as a compound northeast of Juba controlled by the military wing of the South Sudan Army.

Quoting intelligence reports, Jane's said there had been at least three ship deliveries of tanks, totalling more than T-72s, via Mombasa for South Sudan, the first of which had been in November 2007.

The defence publisher concluded: "South Sudan is assembling an armour fleet, preparing for any eventuality in its enduring dispute with Khartoum."

While other mysteries surrounding the incident remain, it has been established that the owner of the Faina - which has had at least three previous names and is registered in Belize - is a Ukraine-based Israeli named Vadim Alperin.

He has links to Mossad, Israel's national intelligence agency, and Mossad front companies in Kenya.

A photograph newly published on a US intelligence website shows Alperin meeting the Faina on arrival in Mombasa in February with the chief of Ukraine's foreign intelligence service, Mykola Malomuzh, by his side.

Note that Fred Bridgland saw fit not to name the US intelligence website from which he lifted information for his article. I wonder why hacks are so stingy with giving credit and links to other people's websites and writings.  Maybe they think readers are stupid. Some of us can spot their sticky fingers. It has taken me years to understand how news reports on Sudan originate enabling me to notice widespread plagiarism by professional reporters. Here's another thing, who is he to say 'South Sudan is certain to vote for independence from Sudan' without prefacing the line with words such as 'in my view'?  More on his dangerous writings in a postscript below.

The following photos and captions are from www.militaryphotos.net (12 Feb. 2009) and www.fresh.co.il  (13 Feb. 2009).  Sorry, name of original source, author of captions, photographer(s) were not published at the websites.



Photo: A US Navy helicopter patrols Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, on the Mombasa coast, Kenya, awaiting for the Ukrainian ship Faina, which is expected to arrive at the Mombasa port Thursday accompanied by a U.S. warship. The seizure of the MV Faina loaded with Soviet-era tanks and other heavy weapons was one of the most brazen acts in a surge of pirate attacks on the shipping off the Somali coast. The ship was held by Somali pirates for more than four months. 



Photo: A Kenyan navy boat moves towards the MV Faina, a Ukrainian ship carrying 33 Soviet-era T-72 tanks plus other weapons, near the port of Mombasa, 500 km (310 miles) from the capital Nairobi, February 12, 2009. The Ukrainian ship laden with tanks and freed by Somali pirates after a five-month hijack approached port in Kenya on Thursday with debate still ranging over ownership of the sensitive military cargo. 



Photo: Kenyans look at Ukrainian ship MV Faina, escorted by the Kenyan navy, as it arrives at the port of Mombasa, 500 km (310 miles) from the capital Nairobi, February 12, 2009. The Ukrainian ship laden with tanks and freed by Somali pirates after a five-month hijack approached port in Kenya on Thursday with debate still ranging over ownership of the sensitive military cargo. 



Photo: Crew members of the Ukrainian ship MV Faina shakes hands on arrival at the Kenyan coastal sea Port of Mombasa, some 500km from Nairobi, February 12, 2009. The Ukrainian ship laden with tanks and freed by Somali pirates after a five month hijack approached port in Kenya on Thursday with debate still ranging over ownership of the sensitive military cargo.



Photo: The chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Mykola Malomuzh, right, with the owner of the ship Faina, Vadim Alperin, left, stand on the dock after the ship docked at the Kenyan port of Mombasa Thursday, Feb.12, 2009. The Ukrainian cargo ship Faina which was hijacked by Somali pirates with its 20-man crew, and carrying tanks and other heavy weapons was released Thursday Feb. 5, 2009, after pirates received an airdropped ransom of $3.2 million. 



Photo: Crew members of the ship Faina that docked at the Kenyan port of Mombasa Thursday Feb. 12, 2009 stand for a minute silence for the captain of the vessel who died on the ship. The Ukrainian cargo ship Faina which was hijacked by Somali pirates with its 20-man crew, and carrying tanks and other heavy weapons was released Thursday Feb. 5, 2009, after pirates received an airdropped ransom of $3.2 million.  

Postscript
A few searches on Google reveal that Fred Bridgland has written articles published in The Times and The Scotsman.  I found this extract at www.coldtype.net:

Death In Africa
How a Revolutionary Leader Plotted to Kill His Deputy and His Family
By Fred Bridgland

EXCLUSIVE - A 50-Page e-book. Fred Bridgland, then a young Reuters correspondent, won his 15 minutes of fame in 1975 when he exclusively revealed the secret South African military invasion of Angola, backed by the CIA, MI6, the French Secret Service and Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda. Bridgland subsequently wrote a highly controversial biography of Jonas Savimbi, leader of an Angolan liberation movement and a friend of Che Guevara. Savimbi’s brilliant young deputy, Tito Chingunji, helped Bridgland research the book and became his closest African friend. But, after the book was published, Savimbi executed Chingunji, his wife and children, parents and his entire extended family. He also threatened Bridgland with death. ColdType’s 50-page essay is a treatment Bridgland has completed as a proposal for new book on his friend Chingunji’s murder and telling the true story of the madness that gripped Savimbi and his guerrilla movement.

Click on Faina label here below to view related reports and updates.

Abyei: Emir of the mujahidin in the Misseriya tribe rejects PCA's ruling

In a telephone interview from Abyei, Hamdan Ahmad Ali, who identified himself as the "emir of the mujahidin in Al-Misiriyah tribe" said the majority of his tribe which is of Arab origins rejects the PCA's ruling on Abyei which gave the oil wells to his tribe. He added that his tribe does not care about oil as much as it cares about land, water, and grazing grounds for the huge cattle his tribesman own.

He pointed out that "oil does not mean anything to us and cannot be a substitute for the grazing grounds, water, and lands that our brothers in the Dinka Ngok have acquired" under the ruling.

Al-Misiriyah tribe is demanding that all the lands north of "Bahr al-Arab" should be their areas, including the town of Abyei, the province's capital, and are saying that the Dinka Ngok tribe's lands are south of Bahr al-Arab. 

But The Hague's decision granted this area to the African tribe. 

Hamdan said: "Our tribe will not take part in the demarcation of the boundaries because the National Congress leaders in Khartoum rendered an injustice to the tribe twice, the first when it fought a war with them against the People's Movement [SPLM] and the second after the National Congress got the oil wells" and he threatened to head south to join the SPLM.

He pointed out that Al-Misiriyah tribe was looking for ownership of the land of Abyei "but we have been removed from it and it was handed over to the Dinka Ngok tribe."

Al-Huraykah Izzaldin, one of the most prominent emirs of Al-Misiriyah said "the tribunal made its decision and we are complying with it" while Sultan Majok Fajwak from Dinka Ngok underlined the tribe's desire for coexistence and said "there will no disputes with Al-Misiriyah."

Source: Asharq Al-Awsat, Friday, 24 July 2009.  Full story:
Sudan: Southern Arab Tribe Leader Rejects Ruling on Abyei
By Mustapha Sirri in london and Ismail Adam in Khartoum:

A high ranking leader in the Arab Al-Misiriyah tribe in the contested Abyei area between north and south in Sudan has announced his rejection of the ruling the International Arbitration Court [IAC] in The Hague issued the day before yesterday which re-demarcated the area. He considered it "unfair" to his tribe and called the National Congress (the ruling party led by President Omar al-Bashir) opportunistic and panting after the oil in the Hajlij area which might see another conflict when the boundaries between north and south are demarcated since the southerners are claiming it is part of Al-Wihdah Province in Upper Nile, south Sudan, and not the north.

Hamdan Ahmad Ali, who identified himself as the "emir of the mujahidin in Al-Misiriyah tribe", said in a telephone interview with "Asharq Al-Awsat" from the Abyei area that the majority of his tribe which is of Arab origins rejects the IAC ruling on Abyei which gave the oil wells to his tribe. He added that "his tribe does not care about oil as much as it cares about land, water, and grazing grounds" for the huge cattle his tribesman own. He pointed out that "oil does not mean anything to us and cannot be a substitute for the grazing grounds, water, and lands that our brothers in the Dinka Ngok have acquired" under the ruling.

Al-Misiriyah tribe is demanding that all the lands north of "Bahr al-Arab" should be their areas, including the town of Abyei, the province's capital, and are saying that the Dinka Ngok tribe's lands are south of Bahr al-Arab. But The Hague's decision granted this area to the African tribe. Hamdan said: "Our tribe will not take part in the demarcation of the boundaries because the National Congress leaders in Khartoum rendered an injustice to the tribe twice, the first when it fought a war with them against the People's Movement [SPLM] and the second after the National Congress got the oil wells" and he threatened to head south to join the SPLM.

He went on to say that his tribe entered into an alliance with the National Congress throughout the civil war of more than 20 years against the southerners and it became clear to it that it had wasted its sons' blood and added: "The National Congress is now in an alliance with oil against our interests." He pointed out that Al-Misiriyah tribe was looking for ownership of the land of Abyei "but we have been removed from it and it was handed over to the Dinka Ngok tribe." After refusing to have his tribe take up arms again against any group, whether the central government or the south, he said: "We will act freely and according to what we want. We will not take up arms against the National Congress or the SPLM but will announce we are joining the south because our benefits are there and let the oil benefit the National Congress government." He added: "We will not die again in defense of others and will live with our kinsmen the Dinka Ngok to whom we are historically bound. We have learned now more from Khartoum's deceptions than at any time before."

Other leaders in Al-Misiriyah and Dinka Ngok tribes, the two largest ones in the Abyei area, welcomed the demarcation decision and announced their compliance with it before underlining the "peaceful existence" between them. On the part of Al-Misiriyah tribe, Mukhtar Babu Ahmad, the tribe's administrator, underlined his tribe's compliance with the decision with reservations and said his tribesmen wished "there were no boundaries" and urged his counterparts in Dinka Ngok not to abandon the fraternity with Al-Misiriyah and told them: "If you win a land, do not lose the brothers." He added "you are with us and earth is not important." Al-Huraykah Izzaldin, one of the most prominent emirs of Al-Misiriyah said "the tribunal made its decision and we are complying with it" while Sultan Majok Fajwak from Dinka Ngok underlined the tribe's desire for coexistence and said "there will no disputes with Al-Misiriyah."

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Copy of commentary on the above article, from a chat forum at Sudan.net:

The GOSS-SPLA ought to & must move faster to assure the Messeiria Tribes that their cows grazing rights will be more than protected and welcome deep into the South after secetion-separation of the country after 2011. Since meterologists predicted and documented that the desert is expanding Southwards of Sahara, GOSS has a golden chance to win corporation of the Messeiria Tribes.

We must move faster to befreind and win the Messieria to our side during secetion in 2011. If we don't move faster, the NCP might cook up some tricks to book the Messiria and turn them into ruthless jihadi militias in the future! - Dr Bullfrog, 24 July 2009.

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Misseriya Migration

The Misseriya live a cyclical life that takes them on an annual journey to the sourth as the dry season approaches before returning north as the rains return.

The Muglad to Abyei corridor is one of the three migratory routes that pass through the Abyei area.

From July through October the community lives in Al Jabra near Muglad and then makes the two month journey sout the Goles, about 25 km north of Abyei town, with their familites and caltle.

When the rains return in May the Misseriya move north along the same route arriving in the Muglad area two months later.

The dry season is often a period of heightened tensions and conflicts between the host and migratory communities over water points and grazing lands. In recent times, the traditional mechanisms for resolving their conflicts amicably have been complicated by competing interest groups.

Source: Tim McKulka/UN 01.21.09 Produced by PIO-UNMIS.

Click here to see photos.

Click on Abyei label here below for related reports and updates.

Abyei: UNICEF advises against Abyei repatriation now

UPDATE ON MONDAY, JULY 27, 2009 16:45 GMT UK: APPARENTLY, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INACCURACIES REGARDING UNICEF IN THE FOLLOWING STORY.  More on this to follow later - and, if possible, a formal correction from UNICEF.Meanwhile, note to self.  I have just clicked into the following articles at Sudan Radio Service and Sudan Tribune and found they have been deleted.  So I did a search on Google for the Sudan Tribune article and found a cache of the original copy.  Consequently, for my own reference, I have today inserted the following line into the article excerpted here below:  
by Ngor Arol Garang (ABYEI) July 23, 2009

Also, I inserted the word "said" in line 2 of this blog post.
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Update on Tuesday, July 28, 2009 17:35 GMT UK:  Yesterday, I received an email from Sudan Radio Service saying they had received a call that morning from Douglas Armour from UNICEF in Juba.  Apparently, there are a number of inaccuracies in the following news based on an article in Sudan Tribune:  UNICEF do not have staff as named in the Sudan Tribune article and they never said what was attributed to them.  Now, I expect and await a press release from Douglas Armour to surface via Sudan Radio Service asap.  If such a retraction never materialises, I shall think it mighty fishy that he, as Communications Manager for UNICEF Southern Sudan Area Programme goes around getting news articles on UNICEF pulled from websites without providing clarification and/or press release concerning UNICEF's news and views on the repatriation of IDPs currently in Abyei.  More more here later.

Update on Wednesday, July 29, 2009:  Email received today from Sudan Radio Service:

Correction: following our story about the possible repatriation of IDPs in Abyei on 24 July, we received this statement from UNICEF in Juba:

"Recently, a Sudan Radio Service report suggested that UNICEF officials had made statements on the humanitarian situation in Abyei and Agok in Sudan.

UNICEF wishes to put on record that none of its officials have made any recent statements regarding the humanitarian situation in Abyei or Agok."

-----------------------------

Saturday, July 25, 2009

On Wednesday, as noted here at Sudan Watch, South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar said: "We should start the process of repatriation of the Abyei area as soon as possible".

Yesterday, UNICEF country director, Arop Alor Arop, said IDPs should harvest their crops first and wait for the situation to calm down before returning to their villages.

Also, UNICEF emergency officer, Heaven Johnson, said everybody is hoping people come back to their villages as soon as possible now that the dispute over Abyei town and its surrounding is settled:  "At the same time we also believe it would be prudent to assume that by September over one thousand could have gone back and that we would still have four thousand displaced through the year."

On a visit to Abyei July 9, South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit, promised that his government would embark on developmental plans using unity development funds.

Sources:  See here below.

Sudan Radio Service report Friday, 24 July 2009  - UNICEF Advises Against Abyei Repatriation Now:

(Abyei) – The United Nations Children’s Fund has warned that the repatriation of internally displaced persons in Abyei should not be carried out now until the situation has calmed down.

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service from Abyei, UNICEF’s country director, Arop Alor Arop, said that repatriation cannot take place given the current political situation on the ground following the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

[Arop Alor Arop]: “They will go back to their villages after the situation has calmed down following the ruling of the Abyei arbitration on 22 July. Because right now we are not sure of what will happen and also they should harvest their crops first.”

Arop said that the IDPs in Lou, Marial Machak, Tanly, Makier Abior, Rumamir, Mabuk and Majak are all getting support from international NGOs.

[Arop Alor Arop]: “They get food from the World Food Program and other NGOs like UNICEF and the Red Cross. Mercy Corps helps the IDPs with medicine and CRS helps them with water. Those are the only NGOs which are providing the basic necessities.”

The SRRC deputy director in Abyei, Akot Manchok, said that they started repatriation in December 2008. But they still have nearly 800 families in each of these villages. He explains the difficulties the IDPs face.

[Akot Manchok]: “The first thing is security and also the villages are not accessible because the roads are not good in the area which connects the villages and the town. In Abyei those things are there, but they lack many things. For example, in the hospital, the doctors are not available because the government here has no budget. The budget was not approved, so no doctors can be employed to serve the people in this area.”

Akot Manchok said that many children do not go to school because of a lack of teachers in the area.

- - -

Excerpt of article from Sudan Tribune, Friday, 24 July 2009 - UN warns more IDPs from Abyei should wait in camps till next year - by Ngor Arol Garang (ABYEI) July 23, 2009:

Speaking to reporters today in Agok, UNICEF emergency officer, Heaven Johnson said everybody is hoping people come back to their villages as soon as possible now that the dispute over Abyei town and its surrounding is settled.

"At the same time we also believe it would be prudent to assume that by September over one thousand could have gone back and that we would still have four thousand displaced through the year," added Johnson, who recently visited Agok, south of Abyei.

He further said hundreds of children were at risk of not attending schools last year, mainly due to the destruction of school buildings by the military personnel in Abyei and the fact that some schools were used to shelter soldiers and IDPS in other villages.

However, Arop Matiok, from the emergency response unit of the Abyei administration said 507 families had returned as of 15 July.

"We are now beginning the process of repatriating people housed in schools as many of those from camps have returned," he said.

But, he was quick to add that families wishing to return have many concerns.

In Agok, the school that housed the largest number of IDPs has already been closed and two more would be shut down soon as residents vacate them.

"The school my daughters attended in our village in Abyei was destroyed last year. It has not re-opened. If we go back now, they could miss a whole year, said Awut Deng an IDP staying with her small brother currently studying at Agok primary school.

She said her father had suggested the children be enrolled at a school in Agok.

According to local reports, between 30 and 50 schools across Abyei particularly for girls were destroyed by militants in Abyei after May clash between SPLA and SAF.

GOSS President Salva Kiir Mayardit when he visited Abyei on July 9 promised that his government would embark on developmental plans using unity development funds. Also, children have already started going back to schools in Abyei this year.

But, many residents remain skeptical and say there is so much to be done here. "Everything is in ruined and it will take months and years for life to return to normality, said Arop Ayiik, 50, a businessman who has been in the area even after the destruction.

Earlier, Heaven said people who are still in camps would need continued humanitarian support. The international response had been insufficient and it was host communities who had offered the bulk of support to IDPs, he added.

However," these hosts are now anxious that their guests return to their own homes. It has been a big strain to support additional people. We want them to return now," said Awut Arop Kuol who sells tea in Agok town and has been hosting her relatives from Abyei since 15 May 2008.

Earlier, Heaven, said apart of education, IDPs continue to worry about food security and other related issues. Although government of Southern Sudan purchased sorghums to support hunger stricken region this year, to support returning families, residents say little is being done.

They also say local prices of basic items are very high. There are frequent shortages and it is hard to manage.

Sudan Tribune news Friday 24 July 2009:

• Sudan president says Abyei referendum to include all tribes   
  
• Sudan pleads with UK for debt relief   
  
• International community welcomes Abyei ruling urges implementation   
  
• Sudanese female journalist prosecuted for supporting another journalist   
  
• Peacekeepers starts patrolling in Abyei   
  
• Ethiopia electoral body consults on financing of political parties   
  
• UN warns more IDPs from Abyei should wait in camps till next year   
  
• SPLM in Yirol East County elects new secretary   

Click on Abyei label here below for related reports and updates on Abyei.

Abyei: Dinka Ngok Chief Kuol Alor: 'Dinka Ngok are Sudanese and should be treated equally'

Yesterday, on his return to Khartoum from the Abyei tribunal in The Netherlands, one of the Dinka Ngok chiefs, Chief Kuol Alor, said that NCP is happy because the oil-fields are now considered part of north Sudan.

Responding to President al-Bashir’s statement that he will provide services to the Messiriya tribe in a speech he made on Wednesday night in which he acknowledged the decision of the court, Chief Kuol Alor said that the Dinka Ngok are also Sudanese and should be treated equally.

From Sudan Radio Service, Friday, 24 July 2009:
Dinka Ng’ok Condemns NCP Reaction to Court Decision

(Khartoum) – The head of the NCP delegation to The Hague, Mohammed Ahmed al-Dir-Diri, described the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration as a victory for the National Congress Party. On Wednesday the court had ruled that boundaries in the oil-rich area around Abyei should be redrawn.

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service from Khartoum on Friday on his return from The Hague, one of the Dinka Ngok chiefs, Chief Kuol Alor, said that NCP is happy because the oil-fields are now considered part of north Sudan.

[Kuol Alor]: “They consider it a victory because they feel that most of the oil-fields east of the area which is now out of our area are in their hands. And they will not share with the SPLM and the Dinka Ngok. It has gone to the north and they can do whatever they want. As the president said yesterday, he will use the oil revenue to provide services for the Messiriya. If we start talking this kind of language we will end up arriving at a dead end.”

Responding to President al-Bashir’s statement that he will provide services to the Messiriya tribe in a speech he made on Wednesday night in which he acknowledged the decision of the court, Chief Alor said that even the Dinka Ngok are Sudanese and should be treated equally.

[Kuol Alor]: “We will know whether there will be secession in Sudan after a few months. Here the president himself forgot that he is the president of the whole of Sudan, he is supposed to know that these are his people. And we know it is not strange for him to say so, because the Abyei conflict began twenty years ago. He never visited the Abyei area. You can’t rule for twenty years and not even visit the Abyei area once. Now they are celebrating over the petroleum which has been given to them.”

Kuol Alor, a Dinka Ngok Chief, was speaking to Sudan Radio Service from Khartoum on Friday.

Click on Abyei label here below for related reports and updates.

Abyei: Organization of the Islamic Conference welcomes PCA's ruling on Abyei, Sudan

From Examiner.com by Lawrence Gist in LA, 22 July 2009:
Organization of the Islamic Conference Welcomes Arbitration Ruling on Abyei in the Sudan

Organization of the Islamic Conference Secretary General Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said today in a released statement that the OCI welcomed the ruling issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague on the Abyei boundary line between north and south Sudan.

The Secretary General hailed the government of the Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) for their full commitment to implement the ruling by the arbitral tribunal. He further expressed the hope that ruling by the Court would help in consolidating peace and bringing together the citizens at Abyei area and the voluntary return of the displaced people to strengthen peaceful co-existence.

While supporting the efforts of the Government of the National Unity in restoring peace and stability in the Sudan, the Secretary General expressed the OIC's full commitment to assist Sudan in this regard.

Click on Abyei label here below for related reports and updates.

Abyei: Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir backs oil area ruling 'for all'

The President of the Republic, Omar Al Bashir, said the right to vote in the Abyei 2011 referendum will include all the tribes present in the area and not only the Dinka-Ngok.

During a welcome ceremony to NCP's returning delegation from The Hague, Al Bashir confirmed his commitment to implement the arbitration ruling and to support development and stability in the area.

The people of Abyei are made up of Ngok Dinka -- seen as loyal to the former rebel south leadership -- and the Messeria nomads who move in the area following seasonal grazing for livestock and are viewed as northerners.

"All the people in the Abyei area will take part in the referendum," Beshir told the crowd.

Director of Abyei administration, Deng Paul Kuol affirmed that PCA would dispatch specialized panel from the Court to demarcate borders of disputed regions.

Sources: See here below.



Photo: (ST - Sudanese president signs Abyei roadmap agreement - 09 June 2008)

Miraya FM (via ReliefWeb) -Abyei referendum will include all tribes in the area, Al Bashir - Friday 24 July 2009.

Sudan Vision Daily by Al-Sammani Awadallah, Saturday, 25 July 2009 - Al-Bashir Backs PCA Ruling.  Full story:

(Khartoum) - President Al Bashir on Thursday backed an international ruling reducing the borders of Abyei region, but stressed that "all people" in the area would vote in a 2011 referendum on its status.

The ruling, issued on Wednesday by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague after Khartoum complained that a previous border commission had decided on the wrong frontiers, moved Abyei's eastern, western and northern borders.

"We welcome the resolution and we are committed to the implementation of it," Al-Bashir said

On his part, head of the ruling NCP's delegation, Al Dirdiri Mohammed Ahmed affirmed that the ruling included vital achievements, among which is quashing experts' report. 

He said we presented 11 points out of which the Court accepted 7 of them; besides recovering 10,000 square meters equaling the area of Lebanon, further the ruling placed Hegelig oilfields under the control of the government in the North, adding "with the recovering of such field the provisions in accordance with which South Sudan is granted 50% of oil revenues will no longer be binding. The oil of the region will be purely the property of the North."

He indicated that both parties did not get what they were expecting from the decision, but urged the two parties to continue to implement the decision in spirit of mutual consent.

Al-Heriaka Ezaddine, a Messeriya leader affirmed his tribe's support to President Al-Bashir as well as full cooperation and commitment to the implementation of the decision.

Malik Agar deputy chairman of SPLM called for swift and effective mechanism for the implementation of PCA decision on Abyei. Speaking to reporters at Juba Airport, Agar considered the ruling as victory for both parties to the conflict; reiterating SPLM's welcome and commitment to it.

In this context, Director of Abyei administration, Deng Paul Kuol affirmed that PCA would dispatch specialized panel from the Court to demarcate borders of disputed regions.

From AFP, Thursday, 23 July 2009:
Sudan president backs oil area ruling 'for all'

KHARTOUM — Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir on Thursday backed an international ruling reducing the borders of the oil-rich Abyei region, but stressed that "all people" in the area would vote in a 2011 referendum on its status.

The ruling, issued on Wednesday by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague after Khartoum complained that a previous border commission had decided on the wrong frontiers, moved Abyei's eastern, western and northern borders.

"We welcome the resolution and we are committed to the implementation of it," Beshir told supporters of his National Congress Party at its headquarters in Khartoum.

But the president stressed that all Abyei's residents would take part in the region's 2011 referendum -- a pointed remark to a crowd that included leaders of the Messeria Arab nomads.

Deadly clashes broke out in May 2008 in the region, an area claimed by both north and south Sudan, who ended their 22-year war in a 2005 peace deal.

The people of Abyei are made up of Ngok Dinka -- seen as loyal to the former rebel south leadership -- and the Messeria nomads who move in the area following seasonal grazing for livestock and are viewed as northerners.

"All the people in the Abyei area will take part in the referendum," Beshir told the crowd.

"Even if it means giving up my post, I will be with you," he added, in an apparent direct remark to the Messeria.

Under the 2005 peace deal, Abyei will hold a referendum in 2011 on whether to retain special status within north Sudan, or join the south, where a simultaneous vote will be held on independence.

Many in south Sudan are counting on a "yes" vote for independence, and want it to extend over as much of Abyei's oilfields as possible.

The north is determined to retain the precious resources.

Click on Abyei label here below for related reports and updates.

Abyei: Unity state calls on presidency to speed up north-south border demarcation

Yesterday, Unity state’s advisor on press affairs, Gor Paul Ngundeng, said Unity's call on Sudan's presidency for the immediate demarcation of boundaries is to help encourage peaceful coexistence between the citizens of Southern Kordofan and Unity state.  Mr Ngundeng is quoted as saying:

"We, the people of Unity state, are demanding the ownership of our towns such as the Heglig, Karasana, Kor Machar and Kurudi.

The problem right now is that Karasana is not under our [Unity state] administration and according to the north-south boundary of 1956 it should belong to Unity state. So should Heglig.

There were no conflicts between us [Unity state] and our brothers in Kordofan until the discovery of the oil in the area. What we the citizens of Unity state want is the land, not the resources.

We are saying the oil is for the country but the land belongs to the citizens of Unity state.”

Source: Sudan Radio Service, Friday, 24 July 2009.  Full story:
Unity State Calls for Quick Border Demarcation

(Bentiu) – The authorities in Unity State are calling on the Presidency to speed up north-south border demarcation.

Unity state’s advisor on press affairs, Gor Paul Ngundeng, spoke to Sudan Radio Service by phone from Bentiu on Friday.

[Gor Paul Ngundeng]: “We, the people of Unity state, the citizens and the government, were waiting for the arbitration ruling on Abyei area like other Sudanese citizens in the south and north. We, the people of Unity state, are demanding the ownership of our towns such as the Heglig, Karasana, Kor Machar and Kurudi. We are calling on the presidency to speed up the border demarcation process between us [Unity state] and Kordofan, in coordination with local authorities, chiefs, higher authorities and civil society organizations including the citizens of Kordofan, Upper Nile and Unity states.”

Ngundeng said the call for the immediate demarcation of boundaries is to help encourage peaceful coexistence between the citizens of Southern Kordofan and Unity state.

[Gor Paul Ngundeng]: “The problem right now is that Karasana is not under our [Unity state] administration and according to the north-south boundary of 1956 it should belong to Unity state. So should Heglig. In the past, they used to say that Heglig belonged to the central government because it has oil-fields but the issues was not raised because there were no conflicts between us [Unity state] and our brothers in Kordofan until the discovery of the oil in the area. What we the citizens of Unity state want is the land, not the resources. In Sudan in the past, the country’s income was coming from Al-Gezira agricultural schemes. Thirty years ago, the country’s income started coming from Unity state in the Heglig area. That is why we are saying the oil is for the country but the land belongs to the citizens of Unity state.”

Gor Paul Ngundeng, the Unity state advisor on Press Affairs, was speaking to Sudan Radio Service by phone from Bentiu on Friday.

Declaration on Abyei ruling by South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit

Quote of the Day
"22 years of warfare have demonstrated to most Sudanese that lasting resolutions to intractable problems are more easily achieved around a negotiating table than through the barrel of the gun." - Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Government of South Sudan, 22 July 2009.

Some more reactions in Sudan to Abyei ruling

From Sudan Radio Service, Thursday, 23 July 2009 (Juba):

Salva Kiir Reacts to Abyei Ruling
The President of the Government of southern Sudan, Salva Kiir, reacted to the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at a press conference in Juba on Wednesday evening. The following is a partial transcript of his speech.

“In my capacity as chairman of the SPLM and President of the Government of southern Sudan, I hereby declare to the people of Abyei, to the entire membership of the SPLM, to the people of southern Sudan, to the entire Sudanese nation and the international community, that the SPLM accepts the ruling that was handed down today at The Hague by the tribunal on Abyei. This is not to say that the decision was wholly in favor of the SPLM. Far from it, indeed there are aspects of the decision that will be received with disappointment by the people of the Abyei area, particularly when the full details begin to be observed. But we had given our word and by our word we will stand.

Our understanding is that this decision is only a title deed. It does not mean that the non-Dinka residents from other ethnic groups will be asked to leave the area to the Ngok people. The Dinka and the Messiriya, our Messiriya compatriots, the Ngok Dinka and other southern ethnic groups in Warrap, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal and Unity states have always affirmed their willingness to give access to the Messiriya and their livestock to the pastures and watering points in their areas during the dry season. This has been the nature of the relations between these ethnic groups since time immemorial.

There has been a lot of speculation over the last few days about the likelihood of some violence in the wake of the Abyei verdict. I have consistently dismissed these wishful conclusions by self-styled political analysts and strategists. My reasoning has been that 22 years of warfare have demonstrated to most Sudanese that lasting resolutions to intractable problems are more easily achieved around a negotiating table than through the barrel of the gun.”

Salva Kiir was speaking at a press conference in Juba on Wednesday evening.

From Sudan Radio Service, Thursday 23 July 2009 (Juba):
CPA Partners Discuss Abyei and the Census
The verdict by the Permanent Court of Arbitration has so far been greeted with enthusiasm by both signatories to the CPA, the NCP and the SPLM. Sudan Radio Service spoke to a prominent member of each party to see if they were as happy with the verdict as the initial reactions of their parties led us to believe.

First we spoke to the SPLM Secretary of Information in the southern sector, Bol Makueng, in Juba.

[SRS]: Some NCP senior officials accusing the SPLM of planning to boycott the elections. Is the SPLM really planning to boycott the election?

[Bol Makueng]: “No, the SPLM is not planning to boycott the elections; instead it is the SPLM that has always been championing democratic rights in the country. It is the SPLM position to see to it that democratic elections are conducted in the fairest way as possible."

[SRS]: The SPLM is opposing the census results and the NCP is saying they are not going to revise the census result, what is SPLM going to do?

[Bol Makueng]: "The census results were actually fabricated and it is actually rigging elections before they happen. So the SPLM is asking the NCP to see to it that the required procedures that are democratic and just are taken."

[SRS]: You say that the census results were fabricated. Did the President of the Government of southern Sudan sign and approve the census result?

[Bol Makueng]: "Salva Kiir has not accepted the census results, if he had accepted the census results, he would have sat down with the whole entire SPLM to convince them of the rationale behind it. What happened with the census results in those countries which are not like Sudan is that they actually determine the wealth and power-sharing of the country. What the NCP did what they did because they have run out of other cards, the only thing left to them was just to rig the census results. They gave the 6 prominent northern states 50 percent of the seats and they also have control of getting seats from other areas, where they decided to put certain numbers that will give them a comparative advantage over any other party. In fact, the NCP can say anything because that is what they have always done in Sudan. What has happened with the census results is a great violation of whatever was agreed in the CPA as a fair way of resolving problems in this country."

[SRS]: The national election commission has announced that it has established 17 constituencies in the north and 8 in the south. What is your reaction to this?

[Bol Makueng]: "I think that the National Electoral Committee was mistaken in the first place to actually accept those results when they knew that they were rigged. The constituency boundary demarcation must be demarcated in line with what was agreed in the CPA. Because the CPA has allotted 34 % - a third of the country - to southern Sudan, that was agreed. Now the NCP is working outside the CPA."

[SRS]: The southern Sudan election commission is claiming that they do not have funds for them to be able to operate.

[Bol Makueng]: "Yes, in fact we are supposed to get our money from the oil money and that money has not been forthcoming as planned. The people who control the oil revenue do not show us exactly how much has come and how much is to come. The NCP is the one controlling all the resources of the country, especially the oil money. How do you expect them to fund a democratic system?"

[SRS]: Yes, but you are funding the CPA celebrations in Western Equatoria to the tune of 66 million SDP. Can’t it be divided and channeled into supporting the southern Sudan electoral commission?

[Bol Makueng]: "The problem with that money is that it comes from donors and it was actually destined for that project. We cannot actually turn money around to do things which were not planned for."

[SRS]: The SPLM says that they are happy with the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, but what has SPLM gained from the verdict?

[Bol Makueng]: "First of all, that the nine chiefs of Dinka Abyei have now been given a territory was something that did not exist before. Now the people have their own territory, they are going to exercise self-determination behind a known boundary."

[SRS]: So you don’t care about the Bamboo oil field and the Heglig oil field?

[Bol Makueng]: "Don’t say we don’t care; we are still going to mark those things on the ground because the ground marking has not yet taken place. What has happened are statements and papers that have been declared and these are theoretical areas. We will go to the practical demarcation, whereby boundaries must pass in areas that are known to people."

Sudan Radio Service then asked Dr. Rabbie Abdullaati, the advisor to the Ministry of information in [Government of National Unity] GONU to react to the remarks made by Bol Makueng.

Dr. Rabbi defended the NCP, saying that the claims by the SPLM on the fabrication of the census results are baseless.

[Dr. Rabbie Abdullaati]: “Not at all fabricated. All the steps of the census were monitored by international and regional organizations and carried out by technical people, and even the census in the south was completed and monitored by the Government of southern Sudan. The federal government did not take part in the monitoring of the census in southern Sudan. I don’t think that the SPLM is correct to involve the census in order to obstruct the elections from being carried out next year.”

Dr. Rabbie rejected the accusation that NCP has fabricated the census in order to acquire more wealth.

[Dr. Rabbie Abdullaati]: “No, actually this is not correct completely. They are only depending on these false reasons because the results of the census show that the share in power and in wealth that the SPLM got during the interim period will be reduced. They will not have the same percentage that was given to them during the interim period of the CPA. Actually, they say that the results of the census will affect the constituencies in the elections. This I think is the reason for their rejection of the results. If they want to win, they should enter the elections with political programs so that the SPLM can win the elections in the south and have the same power that they enjoyed during the CPA interim period."

Dr. Rabbie insisted that the SPLM and the NCP are involved in its allocation.

[Dr. Rabbie Abdullaati]: “About the oil money, there is the Ministry of Finance and there is the state Minister of Finance also belonging to the SPLM in the federal Ministry of Finance. And there is a special organ agreed upon by the SPLM and the NCP to distribute the oil revenue and on regular basis the share which is for the southern Sudan government is transferred to the bank in Juba and I don’t think that there is any problem in the distribution of oil revenue because no sums of money are being set aside to fund the elections or for the interest of one party. There is a special agency which works in coordination with some of the officials in GOSS. All of them sit and see and check the revenue and distribute it according to the provision of the CPA."

SRS asked Dr. Rabbi if the NCP was happy with the ruling which decreed that two major oilfields should be handed over to the North.

[Dr. Rabbie Abdullaati]: “Actually we don’t consider that now the NCP has the oil fields and the SPLM has nothing. The resolution actually concentrated on the border of Abyei and Abyei now doesn’t belong to the south or the north. There is a special protocol. When the time comes to decide self-determination, then people of Abyei will have complete liberty to decide either to be part of the north or part of the south in case of secession of the south from Sudan”.

Dr. Rabbie Abdullaati and Bol Makueng spoke to Sudan Radio Service on Thursday.

Photo: An aerial shot of Abyei town, taken on July 21, 2009. International arbitrators on Wednesday defused the threat of a flare-up in Africa's longest running civil war as north and south Sudan accepted a ruling to redraw the boundaries of the oil-rich Abyei region. (AFP/Peter Martell)



Photo: A resident of Abyei marches with the Southern Sudan flag during celebrations following the Permanent Court of Arbitration's decision on the Abyei boundary on July 22, 2009.  (AFP/UNMIS/Tim Mckulka) 



Photo: Sudanese women celebrate the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague in Abyei, central Sudan, Wednesday, 22 July 2009. (Tim McKulka/UNMIS/Reuters) Hat tip: Christian Science Monitor



Photo: Overview of The Great Hall of Justice at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. An international arbitration panel has awarded the Sudanese government control over a large oil field, settling a boundary dispute with southern Sudan that led to bloodshed last year. The five member Permanent Court of Arbitration affirmed the northern boundary of the Abyei region as set by a 2005 boundary commission, but drew new boundaries in the east and west that placed the Heglig oil fields and the Nile oil pipeline under control of the Khartoum government. (AP Photo/Ermindo Armino)



Photo: Members of the delegation of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) are seen at The Great Hall of Justice at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, July 22, 2009.  (AP Photo/Ermindo Armino)



Photo: Members of the northern government delegation are seen at The Great Hall of Justice at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Ermindo Armino) Wed Jul 22, 2009.

Note comments (27 so far) at Sudan Tribune article, Thursday 23 July 2009 - SPLM Chairman declares acceptance of Abyei ruling - by James Gatdet Dak July 22, 2009 (Juba):

The Chairperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) has declared the acceptance of the ruling on the boundaries of the disputed area of Abyei by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague.



Photo: VP of South Sudan government, Dr Riek Machar from The Hague informing by phone Sudan’s FVP and GOSS President Salva Kiir about the award of Abyei Arbitration Tribunal on July 22, 2009 (photo Moses Lomayat)

Salva Kiir Mayardit who also wears two other hats as the First Vice President of Sudan and President of the semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan, shortly after the ruling on Wednesday, issued an official statement urging the people of Abyei, Southern Sudan, Sudan and international community in general to stand behind the ruling and support its implementation.

On Wednesday, in The Hague, the Permanent Court of Arbitration redefined the new boundaries of Abyei in a ruling which was final and binding.

Delegations of the SPLM, led by the Deputy Chairperson, Dr. Riek Machar and the National Congress Party’s led government of Sudan, led by Al-Diri Diri Mohamed, attended the declaration of the ruling in The Hague.

Dr. Riek Machar in a statement shortly after the announcement of the ruling described the verdict on Abyei as a “victory for the Sudanese people and victory for peace” in the country. Aldiri Diri also called the ruling a “victory.”

In Juba, citizens generally welcomed the ruling, but were quick to express their concern that the contested oil fields of Higlig had fallen outside of Abyei boundaries to the east.

Higlig oil fields were contested between Abyei Area, Southern Kordufan and Unity state.

The Minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development, Michael Makuei Lueth, explained in a televised interview after the ruling that the fate of the area under which Higlig oil fields fall will be resolved in the North-South border demarcation process.

“What we want is Abyei Area [of nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms] not oil fields,” he explained, adding that the issue of Higlig oil fields will be tackled by the North-South Border Committee.

The contest on the fate of the oil fields in the next stage will be between Southern Kordufan and Unity state; both of which counter-claim the ownership of the territory in accordance with the January 1, 1956 North-South boundary.

Arop Madut, member of the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly in Juba representing Abyei Area, described the ruling as a “big achievement,” adding that it had brought back to Dinka Ngok their territory which was claimed by the Meserriya tribe.

He added that it was now clear what constituted the Ngok Dinka territory that will vote in the 2011 referendum to either join the South or remain with the North.

The details in the document on the Court’s ruling are yet to be availed to the public for clarity.

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PCA ABYEI, SUDAN: Final Award, Final Award Map, Photos

On July 22, 2009, the arbitral tribunal rendered its Final Award at the Peace Palace in The Netherlands.

The tribunal has authorized the Permanent Court of Arbiration (PCA) to issue a press release summarising the Final Award in English and in Arabic.

Press Release, July 22, 2009 - English
Press Release, July 22, 2009 - Arabic 

Click here to read Final Award.

Click here to view Final Award Map.

Click here to view Comparative Map of the Abyei Region.

Click here for further details at PCA's website.

ABYEI TRIBUNAL - PHOTOS 
From PCA's website













Photo: Members of the Tribunal, photographed before the November 24, 2008 preliminary procedural meeting in The Hague. Standing from left to right: Professor Gerhard Hafner, Professor Pierre-Marie Dupuy (Presiding Arbitrator), Judge Stephen Schwebel. Seated from left to right: H.E. Judge Awn Al-Khasawneh, Professor W. Michael Reisman. (Source: PCA)



Photo: The parties met on July 11, 2008 in the Office of the PCA Secretary-General to deposit the Arbitration Agreement. Seated from left to right: H.E. Abuelgasim A. Idris, Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to The Netherlands, Ambassador Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed, Agent of the Government of Sudan, Maurizio Brunetti, Special Counsel, PCA; Judith Levine, Registrar and Legal Counsel, PCA; Hon. Dr. Luka Biong Deng, Minister of Presidential Affairs, Government of Southern Sudan and Co-Agent for the SPLM; Mr. Sayed A. Ahmed, Legal Counselor, Embassy of the Republic of Sudan in The Netherlands. (Source:  PCA)

Permanent Court of Arbitration
Peace Palace
Carnegieplein 2
2517 KJ The Hague
The Netherlands
T:+31 70 302 4165
F:+31 70 302 4167
E:bureau@pca-cpa.org

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S. Sudan VP Riek Machar: 'We should start the process of repatriation of the Abyei area as soon as possible'

From Sudan Radio Service (Abyei) Wednesday 22 July 2009:

Riek Machar -Neither Good News Nor Bad

Sudan Radio Service asked Riek Machar, the Vice-President of southern Sudan, for his reaction to the court’s decision.

[Riek Machar ]: “As you know we respect the findings of the arbitration report, I can not tell you that it is good news or bad news because some areas, that we felt should be in, are out of it. Heglig is out of it, Merem is out of it, and as you know this area is contested by Northern Bahr el-Ghazal. Unity is contesting Heglig, so these issues still have to be discussed.”

Machar expressed his concern that some oil-producing areas may find themselves north of a new border demarcation.

[Riek Machar]: “The Abyei area has oil. In Difra, there is exploration going on within the area demarcated, and as you know, Heglig is where the oil is, and it has also some oil-fields. Yes there are resources in the area generally and revenue-wise it means a lot. However, the people of the south will still have a chance to discuss this ruling with the north-south border committee.”

Machar appealed to the people of Abyei to abide by the decision of the tribunal and he described the next step in the demarcation process.

[Riek Machar]: “Now we have Abyei with a known boundary, we would like the people to calmly accept the ruling. We should start the process of repatriation of the Abyei area as soon as possible so that we can be ready for the referendum that will come in eighteen months. The next step will be to demarcate these borders on the ground. They are now delimited on paper, now we will need a joint survey committee to do the survey on the ground.

Riek Machar was speaking to Sudan Radio Service from The Hague.

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SPLM's Deng Alor: Abyei will be where the unity of Sudan starts

From Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 22 July 2009:

CPA Partners Will Respect PCA Ruling

(Abyei) – Following the announcement of the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, both signatories of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the NCP and the SPLM, reaffirmed their commitment to accepting the court’s verdict.

Deng Alor, a senior SPLM member and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government of National Unity, spoke to Sudan Radio Service in Abyei. He says the decision is binding and that the SPLM will respect the arbitration.

[Deng Alor]: “As we said before, the decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration is binding on the parties. The SPLM and the people of this area will respect and implement that decision. 

With regard to the northern boundaries, as far as the Dinka are concerned, the area remains the same. The court has dismissed the "shared areas" and has annexed the shared areas to the Messiriya. With regards to the east and west, the Dinka have lost some small areas. But all in all, we think the decision by the court is acceptable. There is oil all over the place. It is not only in Heglig. Even in that line, we have to see it on paper and on land so that we can really determine where the wealth is.”

Abdelbagi Gailani is a member of the NCP and the state Minister of Humanitarian Affairs.

[Abdelbagi Gailani]: “We have come here as partners with the SPLM. I am representing the National Congress Party. We are here to be with the indigenous people of Abyei, just to listen to this arbitration result, and as you may have seen here, everybody is committed. I am quite sure that this area will be the focus and it will be where the unity of Sudan starts from this area if we focus on development. There is no distinct line between Dinka and Messiriya in this area. People are intermingling, they are consolidated and they reflect the actual unity of Sudan.”

Abdelbagi Gailani was speaking to Sudan Radio Service in Abyei.

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