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Abyei - 13 Jun 2012

Abyei returnees facing harsh conditions

Thousands of displaced people returning to Abyei are facing harsh humanitarian conditions.

Jol Deng, a member of the committee supervising returnees to Abyei said thousands of people found the region destroyed by the Sudanese army with no shelter, food, water or health services available.

He said many returnees are being forced to sleep on the ground.

He appealed to organisations working in humanitarian aid to provide aid to the people of Abyei.

Some leaders of the Misseriya in Abyei have accused the Sudanese government of marginalising them in negotiations about the disputed region and demand for their people's interests to be taken into account.

Badr Al Din Mustafa said Khartoum has picked people to take part in the talks that have no relation to the Misseriya.

Meanwhile, Luka Biong, Chairman of the Supervisory Committee for Abyei said the coming days will witness heated talks between the parties regarding the final status fo Abyei.

He added that 'South Sudan believes there is a need for a referendum, a mechanism to monitor the referendum and the need for Dinka Ngok citizens in the area and some other citizens living in the region'.

But he stressed that Abyei will not be accepted as a special state of Sudan.