The co-chair of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC) said on Friday that the United Nation Interim Security Forces in Abyei (UNISFA) is “responsible for the presence of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF)” rebel coalition in the area.

AJOC co-chair Al Khair Al Fahim Al Faki made the declaration during a meeting with the African Union envoy Boshoko Maqati where they discussed the issue of SRF forces and the implementation of resolutions the Committee adopted last May, a source said. Such resolutions include “confirming the importance of a peaceful coexistence between the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka.”

Speaking to the Sudan Media Center on Saturday, Al Faki called for the “immediate departure of the SRF” from western Abyei. For his part, the AU envoy reaffirmed the need to resolve issues between the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka in the area.