A civil society leader in South Sudan has issued a statement calling on the leadership of the two countries to use a nonviolence approach to address the remaining outstanding issues and put to rest the differences over the ownership of the oil producing region of Abyei.
Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization was reacting to comments attributed to the Sudanese foreign affairs Minister Ibrahim Ghandour in which he said that the disputed territory of Abyei between the two countries belongs to Sudan.
“Abyei is a Sudanese territory and the issue is resolved by the decisions of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the African Union,” Sudanese media quoted Ghandour as saying press at the National Assembly in Omdurman.
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization urged Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to withdraw his statement, saying he wrongly misquoted “the decision of Permanent Court of Arbitration and the African Union. He believes statement could be an incitement for violence at the moment both countries are working on sorting out political difference in non-violent manner. He says that the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the African Union was made public and Number of Sudan government officials including President of Sudan called for dialogue as a tool of resolving the decisions on the fate of Abyei then unilateral decision by either side.
Edmund, citing two articles in which Sudanese leaders were quoted calling for dialogue as the best way to resolve the matter, questioned the motivates for contradicting initial statements on the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
“From perspectives of non-violence lens, it is incitement of violent conflict by the Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs”, he said. Engaging on the approach of non-violence for resolving any Comprehensive Peace Agreement, 2005 outstanding issue is of best interest for two states (South Sudan and Sudan). Investing on soft boarders between the two states (South Sudan and Sudan) is the demand of the communities at the boarders of two states. AU High Implementation Panel should take this latest development about Abyei statues between Juba and Khartoum serious and urgent before it breaks into violence, he added.
CEPO, he said, is calling upon Juba and Khartoum to sort out the CPA, 2005 outstanding issue in non-violent manners and without incitements of violence. Violence has no any benefits on the bordering communities of both countries (South Sudan and Sudan). It also urged African union Peace and Security Council and AU Commission to take action on matters of Coordination of AU various mechanisms on South Sudan specific and Sudan specific verses South Sudan and Sudan AU mechanisms. Weak coordination of AU mechanisms proof to be weakening AU efforts in sorting out issues and reaching lasting solution .The activist also called on African Union high Implementation panel on South Sudan and Sudan to be pro-active in sorting out South Sudan post-independence outstanding issues with Sudan.