The Information Secretary of the Abyei civil society organizations has confirmed the Ngok Dinka “are ready” to vote on the referendum scheduled for October to decide the future of the region.
Achuil Ajang Kiir added that the Ngok Dinka “reject” the latest statement issued by the African Union Peace and Security Council denouncing a unilaterally-conducted referendum in Abyei.
Khartoum opposes the referendum initially outlined by the African Union (AU). It would exclude the majority of the nomadic Misseriya who spend a few months of each year in Abyei for grazing. The Dinka Ngok who reside in Abyei were granted the right to vote by Juba.
Ajang said that Juba and Khartoum have failed to reach an agreement on the status of Abyei, and “the AU has been unable to impose a binding solution on the two countries until now.”
“The civil society organizations and the civil administration are working day and night to conduct the referendum, which will be held fairly and transparently. Its results will be shown to the international community for recognition,” Ajang added.
Ajang’s remarks were aired Monday on Radio Tamazuj. He was speaking after a political symposium held in Abyei to inform citizens about the latest decisions reached by the AU Peace and Security Council and UN Security Council concerning Abyei.
“We informed the population that the AUPSC in its latest decisions did not clearly refer to a specific time frame or calendar as to when will the (Abyei) referendum be conducted or when will the (referendum) commission be established,” explained Ajang.
Meanwhile, the AU has announced it will conduct the 7th consultative meeting between the AU Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in Ethiopia on Tuesday.
It confirmed the meeting will count with the participation of African ambassadors to AU and their counterparts in the UNSC. They are expected to discuss about the situation in the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa, including Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Central African Republic.
Photo by Radio Tamazuj: A main street of Abyei town at dusk