I got the Abyei Boundaries Commission Report (ABC) on 17 July, 2005 while it was issued on 14 July, 2005 and I immediately embarked on reading it. It is well done! Ngok Dinka people of Abyei should express their gratitude and thanks to the experts for their time, great work and efforts they made till they arrived at this result. Ngok Dinka people of Abyei did not get all what they wanted 100%. However, they are satisfied with the result. After all, in negotiations you don’t get all you want. You make some concession. Therefore, I should express my admiration to the Ngok Dinka people of Abyei for understanding that point and principle. Actually, I was not going to write about the issue of Abyei but this too much silence from the Sudanese Presidency, and to be specific the silence of the President Omer El-Bashir and his National Congress Party compelled me to write. According to Abyei ANNEX, UNDERSTANDING ON ABYEI BOUNDARIES COMMISSION (The Final Text as adopted by the two Principals on 17th December, 2004) Upon signature, and notwithstanding Article 5.1 of the Protocol on Abyei, there shall be established by the Parties Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC) to define and demarcate the Area of the nine Ngok Dinka Chiefdoms transferred to Kordofan in 1905, referred to herein as Abyei Area. 5. The ABC shall present its final report to the Presidency before the end of the Pre-Interim Period. The report of the Experts, arrived at as prescribed in the ABC rules off procedure, shall be final and binding on the Parties. 6. The Parties shall establish the administration of Abyei simultaneously with the Government of South Sudan and the Governments of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States by the beginning of the Interim Period.
Now Article (1) has been done according to the agreement. Concerning article (5) the ABC presented its final report on time to the Presidency. But as regard to that part which says “The report of the Experts, arrived at as prescribed in the ABC rules of procedure, shall be final and binding on the Parties” the President Omer El-Bashir and his National Congress Party did not honour the agreement. They are still wasting time by saying they have some observations and need to make some consultations without knowing the Ngok Dinka people of Abyei are running out of time. This is the time they should be going back to the land of the nine Chiefdoms to build their houses, schools, hospitals and boreholes. in a new Abyei. They should be returning to Abyei between now and April 2006 before the rainy season in May, 2006. It is time they re-collect their scattered parts. They need to put their house in order. According to Article (6) the administration of Abyei should have been established simultaneously with the Government of South Sudan and the Governments of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States by the beginning of the Interim Period and which did not happen. This is another violation of the agreement. It is more than five (5) months now since the Interim Period began and the sons and daughters of the nine Chiefdoms have not yet established their own administration-Chief Administrator and his/her Deputy, Five (5) Departments and Abyei Area Council comprised of not more than (20) twenty members. President Omer el-Bashir and his National Congress Party do not have legal or logical reason to delay the establishment of the administration of the Abyei Area since the net-oil revenue from the oil produced in Abyei Area will be shared according to the Wealth Sharing Agreement during the Interim Period as follows: 3.1.1 Fifty Percent (50%) to the National Government; 3.1.2 Forty Two Percent (42%) to the Government of Southern Sudan; 3.1.3 Two Percent (2%) to Bahr el Ghazal Region; 3.1.4 Two Percent (2%) to Western Kordofan; 3.1.5 Two Percent (2%) locally with the Ngok Dinka; 3.1.6 Two Percent (2%) locally with the Misseriya people.
The Misseriya people should use two percent (2%) to develop their own area without disturbing the Ngok Dinka people of Abyei again in the land of the nine Chiefdoms. And the Government of National Unity should get satisfied with its fifty percent (50%). If I were the Misseriya I would have advised H.E. the President Omer El-Bashir and his National Congress Party to issue a Presidential Decree concerning Abyei Area. Such a move from the Misseriya side will help build good relations between the two communities. After all President El-Bashir and his National Congress Party will not remain in power for ever but the Misseriya and the Ngok Dinka people of Abyei will remain neighbours. All successive governments in Sudan since independence on 1 January, 1956 allied and used the Misseriya against the Ngok Dinka people of Abyei through out the years. This is a golden chance for the President Omer El-Bashir and his National Congress Party to make a lifetime achievement to be remembered with. They should not exploit the death of the Sudanese Thinker Dr. John Garang de Mabior by not implementing the Abyei Agreement. We should honour him by implementing all the agreements in appreciation to his vision of a New Sudan and the attainment of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The implementation of the Abyei Agreement is a way forward towards realizing a lasting and comprehensive peace in the country. So it is advisable for the Misseriya, President El-Bashir and the National Congress Party to take a quick action and issue a Presidential Decree concerning the Abyei Area. This will pave the way towards the reconciliation process between the Ngok Dinka people of Abyei and the Misseriya as it is stated in article (9) of the Abyei Agreement that “Upon signing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the Presidency shall, as a matter of urgency, start peace and reconciliation process for Abyei that shall work for harmony and peaceful co-existence in the Area”. As a matter of fact, Abyei has no problem with its neighbours in the south, it is only with the Misseriya who are being used by the successive governments in Khartoum against the Ngok Dinka people of Abyei. And if at all there is going to be a reconciliation process it will be between the Ngok Dinka people of Abyei with the Misseriya in western/southern Kordofan. THE WAY FORWARD 1-It is a responsibility of the President Omer El-Bashir to solve all the Sudanese problems. 2-The Sudanese Presidency should issue a Presidential Decree on Abyei either on 23, 27 or 31 December, 2005. Otherwise, the Ngok Dinka people of Abyei should stage peaceful demonstrations on 1 January, 2006 in and outside Sudan where they are. 3-Ngok Dinka people of Abyei should write letters to the Chairman and Commander-In-Chief of SPLM/A, First Vice President of the Sudan and the President of Southern Sudan L.G. Salva Kiir Mayar-dit, the UN, US, UK, EU, AU, IGAD and the rest of the international community to put pressure on the Sudanese Presidency (NCP) so that it issues a Presidential Decree on Abyei Area. 4-The Ngok Dinka people of Abyei should use their talents, intelligence, education and relations to liberate their homeland. 5-All the Ngok Dinka musicians, writers, poets and journalists should continue the struggle till the land of the nine Chiefdoms is free.
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