The party in power in Sudan is ready to negotiate with the South Sudan on the disputed enclave of Abyei and announced a resumption of talks between the two parties this Saturday in Addis Ababa. "We are open" to negotiations, said Thursday night Al-Dirdiri Mohammed Ahmed, in charge of the Abyei at the National Congress Party (NCP in power).
"We have a meeting May 28 in Addis Ababa (...) organized by the African Union, we hope that we will reach a compromise on a number of points," said Mohamed Al-Dirdiri. Representatives of the NCP, SPLM (Sudan People's Liberation of Sudan, in power in South Sudan), and the head of the panel of the AU on Sudan, former South African President Thabo Mbeki will attend, he said.
Since the capture of Abyei by the Union Army May 21, "indirect negotiations have actually continued between the two parties over the panel of the AU and the UN," the negotiator of the NCP. Sudan Armed Forces (SAF, a northerner) took control of Abyei on Saturday and there are deployed to several kilometers further south on the north bank of the Bahr al-Arab river.
This river, "Kiir" as it was called Southern, now marks the front line between the SAF and the southern forces. "The SAF entered the northern part of Abyei to hunt" the infiltrators of the SPLM, while the southern forces "were supposed to have left the entire area, including the south bank of the river where they are stationed at present" According to Mr.
Mohamed Al-Dirdiri. "The forces of the SPLM in Abyei are present, their presence is undoubtedly at least equivalent to ours. We ask now that the UNMIS [UN Mission] continues to negotiate with the SPLM their complete withdrawal from the area" , he said. Eighty thousand people fled the Abyei area since the Northern forces would have captured there nearly a week, said a local official.
"It's getting worse and worse. They sleep under trees. They need food and water (...). People are dying," said Dominic Deng, a member of the county government Twic, neighbor of Abyei, where the displaced flock. 
"We have a meeting May 28 in Addis Ababa (...) organized by the African Union, we hope that we will reach a compromise on a number of points," said Mohamed Al-Dirdiri. Representatives of the NCP, SPLM (Sudan People's Liberation of Sudan, in power in South Sudan), and the head of the panel of the AU on Sudan, former South African President Thabo Mbeki will attend, he said.
Since the capture of Abyei by the Union Army May 21, "indirect negotiations have actually continued between the two parties over the panel of the AU and the UN," the negotiator of the NCP. Sudan Armed Forces (SAF, a northerner) took control of Abyei on Saturday and there are deployed to several kilometers further south on the north bank of the Bahr al-Arab river.
This river, "Kiir" as it was called Southern, now marks the front line between the SAF and the southern forces. "The SAF entered the northern part of Abyei to hunt" the infiltrators of the SPLM, while the southern forces "were supposed to have left the entire area, including the south bank of the river where they are stationed at present" According to Mr.
Mohamed Al-Dirdiri. "The forces of the SPLM in Abyei are present, their presence is undoubtedly at least equivalent to ours. We ask now that the UNMIS [UN Mission] continues to negotiate with the SPLM their complete withdrawal from the area" , he said. Eighty thousand people fled the Abyei area since the Northern forces would have captured there nearly a week, said a local official.
"It's getting worse and worse. They sleep under trees. They need food and water (...). People are dying," said Dominic Deng, a member of the county government Twic, neighbor of Abyei, where the displaced flock.
- Sudan's Seizure of Abyei Won't Spark New War, Ex-US Envoy Says - BusinessWeek (27/05/2011)
- UN demands Khartoum troops quit key town - Sydney Morning Herald (23/05/2011)
- UN call to end 'burning and looting' in Abyei (23/05/2011)
- UN call to end 'burning and looting' in Abyei - Financial Times (23/05/2011)
- Sudan gunmen 'burning Abyei town' (23/05/2011)
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