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KHARTOUM —South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit yesterday urged Sudan to accept a proposal by the African Union mediation on conducting a referendum in the disputed oil-rich area of Abyei, while Sudan’s President Omar al- Bashir reiterated that dialogue is the only way to resolve the crisis.
“According to me, the issue of Abyei has been resolved. We resolved it in the CPA (Comprehensive Peace Agreement) by means of the Abyei Protocol,” Kiir said when addressing the opening sitting of the joint talks with his Sudanese counterpart al-Bashir in Khartoum.
“Then we took another step in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which made the ruling giving the land to Dinka Nock people. We were supposed to implement the ruling of the court,” Kiir said.
Al-Bashir, for his part, vowed to work to find a settlement for the Abyei issue, saying “as for the pending issues, namely Abyei . . . We would like to reaffirm our will to finding a final solution that satisfies all parties.”
The Sudanese president further reiterated the importance of the establishment of the civilian administrative transitional institutions for Abyei.
The AU, during its head of states’ summit last September, adopted a proposal presented by Thabo Mbeki, head of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan, suggesting the conduction of Abyei referendum in October this year.
South Sudan seems to be determined to press ahead with arrangements for the referendum, while Sudan insists that the conduction of the referendum from one side is illegal.
Abyei has been witnessing growing tension since May when the Nadhir (Chieftain) of Dinka Ngok tribe, Kual Deng Majok, and two of his companions were killed in clashes between members of the Miseriya tribe and peacekeepers from the UN Interim Security Force in Abyei — an incident still under investigation by the AU. — Xinhua.
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