Ngok Dinka held a demonstration in front of the UN peacekeepers’ base in Abyei on Saturday, rallying support for the referendum polling that would kick off the next day.

Demonstrators warned against any interference of the community referendum that the Ngok Dinka organized after the two Sudans failed to organize the vote by the end of this month as proposed by the African Union last year.

Thousands of members of the tribe came out from different parts of Abyei, many carrying signs with slogars such as ‘We must vote in Abyei referendum.’

The demonstrators proceeded dancing and singing toward the compound of the UN Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA).

Some songs blamed the international community for delaying their referendum for self-determination over the years of their suffering. “Yes, yes, a cuku gam wok acuet,” the group sang at one point in Dinka, meaning “We cannot accept, we must vote.”

The demonstration was organized on Saturday by 15 civil society groups and different associations.

After moving from Abyei Freedom Square to UNISFA Compound, demonstrators presented a written message to the Commander-in-Charge to deliver it to the African Union, UN and other international bodies.

The memo was read out in front of the UNISFA compound by the head of Ngok Dinka civil society groups, Dr. Rou Manyiel Rou.

His statement recalled the many agreements made over Abyei starting in 1972, as well as the period of enforcement of shari’a law, the last civil war, and the 1995 Asmara conference at which self-determination was affirmed by the National Democratic Alliance.

Rou also pointed to the Khartoum Peace Agreement of 1997, the Compressive Peace Agreement of 2005, and the ruling of the Hague Court of Arbitration in 2009.

“We in Abyei must conduct this referendum when the two Sudans scheduled the date for the referendum because we kept patient for a long time while the Abyei Protocol was being dishonored in the hands of Sudan,” he said.

After presentation of the memo to the UNISFA commander, Dr. Rou Manyiel concluded saying, “Everybody who came here should go and vote.”

The UNISFA commander received the document and promised them to hand their demands to the concerned authorities.

Demonstrators speak out

Many citizens who spoke to Radio Tamazuj during the demonstration voiced a common motto: “We must vote.”

People chanted, “You, Bashir, Abyei people are in the field looking for justice and waiting to vote.”

Deng Tong, one of the Abyei youth, said “These people are not good people so we do not need to be with them again – we need freedom.”

Lino Lal Majok said that he wanted UNISFA to ask the Sudan Armed Forces to leave Abyei areas such as Akec (Diffra) in the northern part, and to ensure the security of the region.

“We youths of Abyei and civil society groups need peace and we are not ready for war if Bashir may decide something of that kind,” he said.

File photo: Protesters in front of the UN base in Abyei in October 2010.