UN Secretary-General deeply concerned by continuing violence in Sudan's Abyei area

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UN Secretary-General deeply concerned by continuing violence in Sudan's Abyei area

2011-03-15 07:04:21 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday said he is deeply concerned by the continuing violence in Sudan's Abyei area.

"The Secretary-General calls upon the leadership of the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to restrain the local communities in Abyei and to implement the short-term containment measures as agreed in the Kadugli agreements," said Martin Nesirky, spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Abyei has witnessed a series of attacks in recent days that have killed more than 100 people and displaced thousands of people. The Abyei region is considered the bridge between North and South.

Last year, a referendum was held and resulted in Southern Sudan becoming the world's newest nation. The referendum was the culminating point of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ending two decades of civil war between the North and the South that killed some 2 million people and drove an estimated 4.5 million others from their homes.

Under the CPA, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) became the official army of South Sudan and the SPLM the ruling party. The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) was deployed to safeguard the region and enforce peace.

"UNMIS has intensified its patrolling activities on the ground and is on standby to reinforce its peacekeeping presence if the need arises. The Mission, in consultation with other stakeholders, is engaging the parties to defuse tensions and prevent further escalation," added Nesirky.

In Abyei, a separate referendum was held simultaneously with the rest of Southern Sudan in January to decide whether to become part of the North or South. However, attempts to create a referendum commission remain stalled as communities in the area continue fighting over the right to vote.

"Abyei still remains a flashpoint which could potentially derail the entire peace process. I urge the CPA parties to take immediate action to calm the tensions in the region and urgently reach an agreement on all outstanding issues," said Mohamed Chande Othman, UN independent expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan.

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