South Sudan’s Foreign Minister Deng Alor Kuol has accused certain officials whom he did not name in President Salva Kiir’s former cabinet of blocking any endeavours to recognize the result of the unilateral Abyei referendum.
The referendum was conducted in October 2013 by the Ngok Dinka population who decided to become part of South Sudan. The Misseriya, who historically stay in the region every year for up to six months, were excluded from voting. However, neither Sudan nor South Sudan recognized the plebiscite so far.
Deng Alor, who is also leader of the SPLM Former Detainees faction, made these remarks while heading a high-level delegation to Khartoum in order to participate at the meetings of the Joint Political and Security Committee between Sudan and South Sudan.
In an interview with the Khartoum-based Al Jareeda newspaper, Deng Alor said the Abyei unilateral referendum was officially approved by the South Sudanese government, but a certain group rejected recognition of the plebiscite.
The issue of the disputed area of Abyei between Sudan and South Sudan has already been resolved in accordance with the Hague-based International Court of Arbitration, according to the South Sudanese diplomat.
Deng Alor, who hails from Abyei, said that they are willing to cooperate with the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in an attempt to bring an end to the Abyei problem.
However, he added that the issue of Abyei was not part of the joint political and security meetings between the two countries in the capital Khartoum.
In late May, the former Director of the Center for Peace Studies at the University of Juba Luka Biong called on the United States of America to put pressure on Sudan and South Sudan to recognise the result of the unilateral Abyei referendum.