Americas

Americas

UN Security Council hails military withdrawal of Sudan, South Sudan from Abyei

01 June 2012 00:19 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The United Nations Security Council on Thursday welcomed the withdrawal of military forces of Sudan and South Sudan from the disputed Abyei area, encouraging both parties to "keep momentum toward meeting all outstanding obligations" under relevant UN resolution, APA reports.

"Members of Council welcomed the withdrawal of military of Sudan and South Sudan from the Abyei area," the 15-nation council said in a press statement issued here, stressing that "full withdrawal must include police forces, including oil police."

Tensions soared in the Abyei area when South Sudan army ambushed a convoy of the Sudanese army and the United Nations peacekeepers in May 2011, resulting in the death of 22 Sudanese soldiers.

One day after the ambush, the Sudanese army controlled Abyei and reiterated that Abyei was a northern town and rejected to withdraw troops from the area.

South Sudan became independent from Sudan in July last year, six years after the signing of a peace agreement that ended decades of warfare between the north and south. However, peace between the two countries has been threatened by clashes along their common border and outstanding post-independence issues including the ownership of the Abyei area that straddles the two countries.

Following an outbreak of violence after Sudanese troops took control of the area weeks before South Sudan became independent, the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei, which was set up by the Security Council in June 2011, is charged with monitoring the situation on the ground. It is also authorized to use force in protecting civilians and humanitarian workers.

A referendum was scheduled to be held in Abyei to decide the fate of the area to coincide with the referendum on self- determination for South Sudan in January 2011, which resulted in separation of the south. However, the voting did not take place due to differences over who has the right to vote.

Sudan and South Sudan resumed a new round of negotiations on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, in a bid to resolve their outstanding issues including the affiliation of the Abyei area.

"Members of Council welcomed the resumption of talks between Sudan and South Sudan on 29 May 2012 in Addis Ababa under the auspices of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel," the statement said.

The Council encouraged the two sides to keep momentum toward meeting all outstanding obligations under the resolution 2046. It also expressed concern over "lack of humanitarian access in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states".