A delegation of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) arrived at the contested Abyei region on Friday, 8 November, consisting of twenty members from different countries in Africa, headed by Enrique Nsue Anguesomo from Equatorial Guinea.

In a speech at Abyei’s Freedom Square, Anguesomo told the residents that “the aim of this visit to Abyei is to better understand the problems of the region and its development”. “The AUPSC has always encouraged Sudan and South Sudan to cooperate and resolve the issue of Abyei. The AUPSC thanks Sudan and South Sudan for their cooperation with the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP)".

Anguesomo further explained that “The AU cannot agree with the referendum on the status of Abyei, unilaterally conducted by the Dinka Ngok Chiefdoms, without taking into consideration the Misseriya residents. The AUHIP has presented a proposal to the two Presidents. The issue lies now in their hands. They will decide on the solutions to the problems and when to vote for self determination”.

Reactions

Many people among the audience reacted emotional to the speech. Some women even fainted, a source reported to Radio Tamazuj, after they heard that the fate of the Abyei region “lies in the hands of the two presidents”. Though the authorities had tried to calm down the Dinka residents of Abyei, young people managed to throw stones at the cars of the AUPSC delegation, while they were leaving the square. There were no reports of casualties. Angry young men also ran behind the delegation and broke through the UNISFA reception gate, where they were scattered and removed by UNISFA guards.

The chairperson of the Abyei Civil Society Association, Rou Manyiel Rou, commented that “we, Dinka, are not irresponsible. This referendum was not illegal. We have just implemented what has agreed on by the two Sudans and which was proposed by the AU. The irresponsible behaviour comes from the AU itself. It has been the AU that let the Sudan Armed Forces enter Difra in South Sudan which is illegal”.

The Abyei status referendum was originally due to be held in 2011, in which the residents of Abyei would decide either to remain part of Sudan or to become part of South Sudan. The referendum, however, was postponed indefinitely due to disagreements on the question whether the Arab nomadic Misseriya tribe, who historically stay in the region every year for six months, are to be considered Abyei residents and as such allowed to vote or not.

The AU had proposed to hold a referendum in October 2013, endorsed by the AUPSC, in which the Misseriya were excluded. Sudan, however, rejected it stating it was sovereign over the region and that exclusion of the nomadic tribe would threaten the peace process. Thereupon the Dinka Ngok Chiefdoms in Abyei decided to unilaterally conduct the referendum in October. 99 percent of Abyei’s Ngok Dinka have voted in favour of joining South Sudan.

The AUPSC delegation is scheduled to also visit Kadugli, the capital of Sudan’s war-torn South Kordofan, and Agok and Difra in South Sudan.

File photo

Related:

 Misseriya youth condemn Abyei unilateral referendum, warn for war (7 November 2013)

Misseriya threaten to defy Sudan government over Abyei plebiscite (1 November 2013)

Preliminary Abyei poll results show 0 people voted for unity with Sudan (31 October 2013)