Dispute over Heglig and failure by South Sudan to create international awareness
By Gatkuoth Deng – USA
I am deeply concerned by the unexpected silence and failure by South Sudan to clearly explain its version on the history of Heglig (Panthou), which is the oil-rich area near the borders with Sudan and currently being contested between South Sudan and Sudan.
Sudan has explained its fabricated justifications over Heglig ownership to the point that it has almost convinced the international community that Heglig is actually part of Sudan, and that South Sudan is an aggressor trying to occupy and annex the Sudanese territory from across the international border.
It is a well-known fact that Heglig (Panthou) belongs to the Dinka ethnic group of Pariang County in Unity state. The area is also inhabited by Nuer who dwell with their cousins, the Dinka, in the area for centuries.
In 1980s the former dictator and Sudanese president, Jaafer Mohamed Nimeiri, upon discovery of oil in the area of Heglig in Unity state, decided to annex it to South Kordofan in the North in violation of the 1956 borders between the two regions (North and South Sudan). There was no effort made to politically or legally resolve the issue with the then Southern Sudan region as war broke out in 1983.
Shortly before the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the two regions in 2005, the SPLM leadership in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, conceded the area to Abyei after heated dispute with Unity state. It was not clear why the SPLM decided to take away the ownership of the area from Unity state to the Dinka Ngok of Abyei. Instead of confirming its ownership to Unity state as stood in the 1956 North-South boundaries, the movement offered it to Abyei in South Kordofan.
However, during the determination and demarcation of the Abyei territory and boundaries in 2009 in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the court found that Heglig was not historically part of Abyei. The court ruled that the area fell outside the territorial boundaries of Abyei, but fell short to further rule where the area belonged to between Unity state and the rest of South Kordofan.
South Sudan expects that Heglig will come back to Unity state when the North-South border demarcation is done since history in the court ruling has proven SPLM wrong when it emotionally conceded it to Abyei in 2004.
While Sudan is doing its outmost to convince the international community that Heglig belongs to them, South Sudan is virtually doing nothing to equally create counter international awareness about its historical ownership of the land.
I wonder why such institutions and leaders such as the ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nhial Deng Nhial, plus his diplomats abroad and the minister of Information, Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin are not telling the world about the true version of the history. Now the Sudan seems to be winning the support of the African Union, the United Nations and friendly countries such as the US by making them believe that Heglig is their land and that it was only invaded and occupied by South Sudan this week.
Something must be terribly wrong with the failure to create international awareness about not only Heglig, but also other South Sudanese territories which are being claimed and occupied by Sudan.
*Gatkuoth Deng is a political activist living in the United States of America (USA). He can be reached at: gatkuothlam@yahoo.com
http://www.southsudannation.com/disputeoverhegligandfailure%20gatkuothdeng%2078.htm
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