South Sudan - Abyei verdict

UN says soldiers roam in Abyei on eve of verdict

Article published on the 2009-07-20 Latest update 2009-07-20 16:58 TU

Men holding the south Sudanese flag
(Photo: Reuters)

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNAMIS) said Monday that soldiers were pulling out of the contested Abyei oil district ahead of the Wednesday verdict from an international court that is ruling on whether the contested region is a part of Southern Sudan or the Khartoum government.

On Saturday, UNAMIS head Ashraf Qazi voiced his concern, accusing South Sudan soldiers of roaming in the area. Both armies of north and South Sudan have agreed to stay out of Abyei before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruling.

Claimed by both north and south Sudan, Abyei was given special administrative status under a 2005 peace deal. During the weekend, the Southern Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) dismissed Qazi's accusation, saying he had fallen for northern propaganda.

 Kouider Zerrouk, deputy spokesperson for the UN mission in South Sudan says they have had confirmation that South Sudanese soldiers are pulling out. The SPLA told the UN that their soldiers were not based in the area, but only part of a security detail accompanying Southern Sudanese Vice President Salva Kiir.

That said, their presence in the area so close to the ruling could be problematic, according to Zerrouk. "The Abyei ruling is in two days, and this (SPLA's presence) might be a source of tension and violence," he told RFI.

Zerrouk said that the Abyei 'roadmap' stipulates that only Joint Integrated Units and Joint Integrated Police Units are allowed in the area to exercise security.

Abyei sits on rich oil deposits, and is claimed by both north and Southern Sudan. The area was given a special administrative status in the aftermath of the 2005 peace deal that ended Africa's longest-running civil war.

 

SNIP ... speaking from Khartoum. ...continued