The Misseriya of South Kordofan risk losing access to markets and pastures in Abyei if a political solution to the Abyei conflict is not reached. Some Dinka Ngor leaders in the disputed area threaten to block the dry season migration of the Arab nomads until a deal on the territory is reached between Sudan and South Sudan.

Dr. Joseph Lual Ayom, vice president of the area’s civil society institutions, pointed out that the Abyei dispute was not addressed in the recent Addis Ababa agreements between Sudan and South Sudan. He said that the Abyei community had no say in the agreement and they are expecting a delegation of South Sudanese negotiators to explain to them the reasons why Abyei was excluded from the agreement.

In an interview with Radio Tamazuj today, he said that Abyei leaders will lead a march so that the people will be able to demand explanation for the exclusion of Abyei from the Addis agreements. With respect to the Addis agreements between the north and south on border trade and other matters he said that the citizens of Abyei have no interest in these, indicating a complete rejection of any trade with the north.

Ayom stressed that Dinka Ngok will not allow the Misseriya pastoralists into their lands henceforth until the problem of Abyei is solved, and threatened that the expected passage of Misseriya cattle into their lands could be blocked before resolution of the problem.

Last Tuesday a Misseriya tribal leader and national MP in Khartoum, Mahdi Babo Nimr, told journalists that the tribe would take up arms in case their needs are not accommodated in any solution on the Abyei area.