UN welcomes north and south Sudan's withdrawal from disputed Abyei area

[News_Editor]

UN welcomes north and south Sudan's withdrawal from disputed Abyei area

2011-05-09 21:16:07 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations (UN) on Monday welcomed the commitment of Sudan's northern and southern sides to withdraw their forces from Abyei and to immediately deploy combined teams to the disputed area to provide security.

The UN's peacekeeping mission in Sudan (UNMIS) is facilitating the Abyei Joint Technical Committee, whose participants agreed during Sunday's meeting to start the withdrawal of all unauthorized forces and the deployment of joint integrated units – made up of personnel from both sides – by Tuesday and to finish the process by May 17.

The two sides agreed that they would work to create a more conducive environment by decreasing tensions and speaking to communities on the ground about the implementation of recent peace agreements aimed at ending the violence in the Abyei area.

Since the beginning of the year, deadly clashes broke out after the referendum on Abyei's status never took place amid disagreement on voter eligibility. Dozens have been killed due to the violence.

In July, Southern Sudan will secede from the rest of the country, as a result of a separate referendum held in January and both north and south claim Abyei.

Major General Moses Bisong Obi, the Force Commander of UNMIS, said Sunday's meeting reflected the commitment of the two sides towards easing tensions.

"There was goodwill from both sides and we hope to follow up on this spirit," he said, as the two sides also agreed to ensure freedom of access for UNMIS contingents who are deployed in the area, which is contested by both north and south.

The committee was established last month to oversee the implementation of two separate peace agreements reached earlier this year.

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