Press Release: Abyei Civil Society Organizations

Honourable members of the UN Security Council;

The Abyei Civil Society Organizations acknowledge and appreciate your roles in following constantly the sequence of incidents in Abyei area  since the signing of the

Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the subsequent agreements:(Abyei Road Map for returns of IDPs and implementation of Abyei Protocol on June 08/2008, The International Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Ruling in The Hague of 22 July 2009, June 20th, 2011 Addis Ababa Agreement for Abyei Area Temporary Security and Administrative Arrangements, Security Council Resolution No (1990) for deployment of Ethiopian troops on June 2011 and AU Peace and Security Council’s  Resolution no (319) of 24 April 2012; and lastly the UN Security Council’s Resolution (UN-SC) No (2046) of May 2nd, 2012) These international and national agreements didn’t  find an enabling environment for implementation due to constant violation from the National Congress Party (NCP)/ Government of Sudan and this dragged the area into constant violence ignited by Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) in May 2008 and May 2011 incidents during which SAF perpetrated

gross human rights violation ranging from burning of houses, looting of properties and above all merciless killing of innocent civilians. After signing of June 20, 2011 agreement, the security situation in the area deteriorated starting with planting of landmines by Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) in Mijak-kurweich on the main road and that resulted in killing and injuring of members of UNISFA patrol Unit on August 3rd, 2011, then followed by killing of a civilian by SAF on November, 29th, 2011 in Leu village, moreover another civilian was murdered by SAF in Lopong village in early December, 2011. In the same vein, one civilian was murdered and another wounded by Khartoum militias in Kol-ngol nyang village east of Abyei town in February, 2012.

Honourable members of the UN Security Council;

In all these inhumane incidents that Abyei area had witnessed, no single investigation was carried out into the crimes which were committed against innocent people of the Ngok Dinka despite full deployment of UN forces in the area. Nevertheless, the number of SAF, armed militias and nomads with machinery weapons is continuously on the rise, hence, creating panic and fear; and instability amongst ordinary civilians and hampering voluntary returns of IDPs to their villages of origin. In the aftermath of April, 2012 bloody clashes between Sudan and South Sudan along their borders and amid increased concern of the international community on this regard, the AU peace and security council in its ministerial meeting No (319) dated April 24th, 2012, issued a final communique which later on known as AU peace and security council Road Map for resolution of all the outstanding issues between the two countries (Sudan & South Sudan). The AU peace and Security Council in article VII of the resolution regarding the Abyei area (requested the two parties to implement provisions of June 20th, 2011 with respect to security and administrative  arrangements concerning the redeployment of all forces out of Abyei area within two weeks’ time) Abyei Civil Society Organizations’ Memo to the UN Security Council – May, 2012.  In conformity with AU peace and Security Council resolution, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of South Sudan issued a decree for withdrawal of South Sudan Police Forces out of Abyei area boundaries as defined by the PCA award.

Honourable members of the Security Council;

After completion of South Sudan Police Forces withdrawal from Abyei area, the Sudan Armed Forces and their militias are still occupying Abyei area, terrorizing and looting properties of the innocent civilians as indicated by incidents in the following villages;

a) On 2nd May, 2012 the SAF and its allied militias looted 75 head of sheep and goats in Marial-Achaak village north-east of Abyei town and at a distance of 1,500

meters from UNISFA compound.

b) On May 4th, 2012 the SAF and its militias looted 111 head of cows from Rumamer east Abyei town at a distance of 1 km from UNISFA base.

c) On May 9th, 2012 the SAF and its allied militias looted 38 head of calves from Leu village north-east Abyei town.

d) On May 10th, 2012 at night, the SAF and its militias looted 550 head of cattle at gun point in Leu village.

In view of the above mentioned incidents, the AU peace and Security Council’s resolution to withdraw South Sudan Police Forces from Abyei area has impacted negatively on community day-to-day security and that in return led to an increase in crimes and attacks rate on civilians’ properties. Therefore, the Abyei civil society organizations affirm the following;

1. Respect AU peace & Security Council’s resolution, UN Security Council Resolution and South Sudan Council of ministers’ decree for the withdrawal of South Sudan

Police services (SSPS) from Abyei area while we deeply express our concerns over the vacuum in rule of law structures after complete withdrawal of the police.

2. Immediate and unconditional withdrawal of SAF and its militias out of Abyei area boundaries as stipulated in Addis Ababa June 20th, 2011 and the AU peace and

Security Council’s resolution of April 24th, 2012.

3. Urge the two parties to sign Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to enhance Chapter VII mandate for UNISFA in the area.

4. Carry out international investigation or inquiry into the incidents of May 2008 and 2011 and subsequent incidents including the recent  ones in order to bring the

perpetrators before justice namely President Al-Bashiir and Jadiid Aamir.

5. The people of Abyei since the signing of the CPA have been deprived of their share in the locally produced oil by Sudan Government, therefore, we call upon

the UN Security Council to intervene and supervise  equitable sharing of the oil produced from Abyei area.

6. The international community should put more pressures on Government of Sudan to compensate Ngok Dinka for the losses of May 2008 and 2011 incidents and

return recent looted livestock.

7. The Abyei civil society organizations believe that  the AU High Implementation Panel has little knowledge about the root causes of Abyei conflict, hence, we call

up on the international community to involve The United Kingdom (UK) former colonizer of the Sudan and who transferred Abyei area from Bahr el Ghazal to

Kordofan on 1905, the United States of America who drafted the Abyei protocol and Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and its partners; and

witnesses of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Naivasha, Kenya 2005.

8. Demarcation of Nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms territory borders based on July 2009 PCA award on Abyei area boundaries.

9. Strongly refuse and reject any political solution that doesn’t take into account all the fundamental and legal references such as Abyei protocol, PCA award on Ngok Dinka chiefdoms’ boundaries and Abyei referendum law 2010. Abyei Civil Society Organizations’ Memo to the UN Security Council – May, 2012   Page 3 of 3

10.Strongly deplore the murdering of Ngok Dinka war prisoners by SAF in May 2008, while we call up on UN-SC to intervene for the release of May 2011 captives who have been transferred from Baliela north of Abyei to prisons in (Jebeit, eastern Sudan; Debek, north of Khartoum and Kouber in Khartoum)

11.Call upon UN-SC to urgently put in place temporary mechanism as replacement for police services in order to bridge the gap in rule of law organs brought about

by withdrawal of Abyei Police.

12. Find final and lasting solution for Abyei issue in  accordance with AU peace and Security Council’s Road Map and conduct of Abyei referendum as stipulated in

2010 referendum law for Abyei area.

Signed by:

Copies to;

– African Union AU

– AU High Implementation Panel

– IGAD countries

– IGAD partners

– President of the Republic of South Sudan

– South Sudan national assembly

– Abyei area Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC)

– UNISFA (UN Ethiopian tro