Sudan to hold talks on disputed area with South Sudan

Talks between Sudan and South Sudan to resolve a decade-long dispute over the border town of Abyei have been scheduled for the 17 and 18 of this month in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Sudanese committee for the administration of the area confirmed.

Ownership of Abyei remains a contentious issue after South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011. There is currently no joint administration of the area as the Ngok Dinka refuse the formation of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC) and calls for a referendum instead, without the Sudanese Misseriya tribe who also frequent the area.

The head of the Sudanese committee, Hassan Ali Nimir, told the Sudan Media Centre (SMC) news agency that the meeting would discuss the 2011 agreement between Sudan and South Sudan. He said there would also be a parallel meeting of the traditional administration who will discuss issues of peaceful coexistence as well as individual issues that occur between members of the two tribes.

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On 27 June 2011, the United Nation’s Security Council reached an agreement to demilitarise Abyei, allow Ethiopian troops to monitor the area and establish the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). Sudan’s 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) provides that the contested territory remains part of the north until a referendum determines its fate. Disagreements about who will participate in the referendum has prevented the two countries from holding the referendum.

However, the Dinka Ngok organised a unilateral referendum from 27-29 October 2013 to say they want to join the Republic of South Sudan. Khartoum, Juba, the African Union and the international community refused to recognise the outcome of the vote.

Sudan is hoping a peaceful resolution of the Abyei border issue and other conflict areas will allow the US to favourably consider lifting 20-year old economic sanctions which come under review in October this year.