Abyei is cursed with oil and diversity apparently. The oil underground has been at least in part motive for both the Sudan Government in Khartoum and the newly independent South Sudan to claim it. Meanwhile, the diversity in population and tribal relationships allows for ethnicity to be spun like a web by would be lords and rulers. This has been ongoing in Abyei for months, as I anticipated since it was held out of the referendum in January of 2011, as the area remains in dispute between the north and the south. A referendum on the future status of Abyei was supposed to have been held in January but never took place amid disputes over voter eligibility. (See Report from January 2011 – “Abyei Oil Region/Sudan Tensions” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/un-patrol-in-sudan/24091

The Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern over the continuing military stand-off in Sudan’s disputed area of Abyei, saying the deadlock has led to further loss of life, despite the recent peace measures agreed to by both parties. The Secretary General issued the brief statement below:
“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the continued tension in the Abyei area and underscores that the military stand-off is unacceptable. He deplores that the persistent deadlock has led to further loss of life. The Secretary-General calls upon the leadership of the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to refrain from any unilateral declarations regarding the ownership of the Abyei area as it jeopardizes the search for a peaceful resolution. The parties must refrain from provoking each other or engaging in any military confrontation in Abyei as this could result in further loss of life and significantly affect the future relationship between North and South. The Secretary-General urges both sides to immediately implement the short-term containment measures as agreed in the Kadugli agreements of 13 and 17 January 2011 and the Abyei agreement of 4 March 2011,”

End of this week, the governments of Sudan and Southern Sudan committed to implementing the two recent agreements, with the assistance of the United Nations, according to Haile Menkerios, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan and head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan (UNMIS). “UNMIS will also support the containment and temporary security measures while a solution is being sought,” Mr. Menkerios said after meeting the President of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir, in Juba.

The meeting followed deadly clashes at the start of the week in Abyei that claimed the lives of at least 14 people. Under the Kadugli and Abyei Agreements both sides committed to the total withdrawal of all unauthorized forces from the Abyei Area, leaving the maintenance of security to the joint integrated units (JIUs) and joint integrated police units, which are made up of personnel from both sides.

My conclusion: Abyei is too valuable in and of itself for its oil and its central location. It remains at the core of all nearby territorial disputes, claims and “rights of way” as Sudan and South Sudan try to untangle their previous relationship as one state.

Related Reports:
---“UN on Patrol in Sudan” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/un-patrol-in-sudan/24091

---“Killing & Conflict/South Sudan” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/killingconflictsouth-sudan/24745

Credit Map: Star of Africa

By Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey
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