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Abyei Civil Society Organisations (ACSOs) Letter to African Union (AU)-Sep, 2013 Page 1 of2

Abyei Civil Society Organisations (ACSOs)

Letter of Concern to the African Union Peace & Security Council (AUSCP)

C/O H.E Dr. Dlamini Zuma

ChairpersonAfrican Union Peace and Security Council (AUSCP)

P.O.Box 3243, Roosevelt StreetW21K19, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

September 10th, 2013

Honourable members of the AUSCP,We, the Ngok Dinka community of Abyei area, are writing to your distinguished counciltoday September 10th, 2013 in your capacity as the concerned body in the continent toaddress peace and security affairs. We are compelled by the un-favouring politicaldevelopments inside Abyei area to remind the entire African Union (AU) about her moral,ethical and political commitments toward sincere follow up for AU High Level

Implementation Panel (AU-HIP) Proposal of September, 2012 on the Final Status ofAbyei area.

While we, remain grateful to AUs efforts in helping South Sudan and Sudan to reach

durable solutions on post-independence outstanding issues precisely on Abyei area, wewould want the AU to take note of the awful humanitarian situation and the tremendoussuffering that the Ngok Dinka peoples have been living in since May, 2011 disaster when

the entire town of Abyei and surrounding villages were burned to ashes by Sudan ArmedForces (SAF). The suffering of the Ngok Dinka communities in displacement camps andinside Abyei region is increasing on daily basis due to the lack of political will from Sudangovernment to implement all the signed agreements on Abyei area.

The Ngok Dinka community since 1905 all through to South Sudans Independence inJuly, 2011 have never been in peace. The main cause of our continued suffering since

time of immemorial has been the dishonouring of numerous accords on Abyei destiny byKhartoums successive regimes, as it happened in 1972 with Addis Ababa agreement andAbyei protocol of 2005.

Dear AUPSC members,The Ngok Dinka community in September, 2012 welcomed with tears of happiness, theAU High Implementation Panels (AU-HIP) Proposal on final status of Abyei area. Wehoped that it would bear fruits to bringing an end to the long night of captivity for theNgok Dinka peoples through free and fair referendum to be held in October, 2013. Butregrettably, the dreams of the Ngok Dinka communities for brighter future, full with

freedom and stability are apparently being threatened by Sudan government s refusal tohonour conduct of Abyei referendum in October, 2013 as prescribed by the AU-HIPProposal of September, 2012. If the Sudan government manages this time around todefy AUs Proposal & repeated calls for resolution of Abyei issue through the referendum,then the entire Abyei region would be once again dragged into another cycle of perpetual

war which would definitely have catastrophic humanitarian impacts on the entirepopulations in the region as like the case in 2008 and 2011.

Distinguished members of AUSCP,The right for the self-determination for the Ngok Dinka chiefdoms was provided for in theAbyei Protocol under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005,between Government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM).

But, Sudan government abrogated the agreement and refused the conduct of Abyeireferendum simultaneously with that of South Sudan in January, 2011. Though, the AU-

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Abyei Civil Society Organisations (ACSOs) Letter to African Union (AU)-Sep, 2013 Page 2 of2

HIP Proposal of September, 2012 had confirmed the holding of referendum for the NgokDinka chiefdoms, as the viable option for resolving Abyei conflict, Sudan governmenthad tried very hard to convince AU states members not to endorse the AU-HIP proposaland moreover Sudan government is working hard toward abolition of Abyei referendumin October, 2013.

However, we would like the AU to note that, the Ngok Dinka chiefdoms have no patienceleft to tolerate any postponement for the Abyei referendum and that we would decideour own political destiny in a unilateral declaration in the event that the AUSPC and theUN Security Council have no abilities to impose the conduct of Abyei referendum in

October, 2013 as stipulated in AU-HIP Proposal.

The Ngok Dinka chiefdoms and Civil Society Organisations would like the AU-SPC to take

note of the followings:1. The month of October, 2013 is a sacred deadline for holding Abyei referendum on

Self-determination and if it is not honoured then the Ngok Dinka community willdecide and declare unilaterally the political future of Abyei area. The UN charterfor political, social and civil rights recognises the right for self-determination for

every oppressed group in any given country. Therefore, the Ngok Dinkachiefdoms find it necessary without seeking permission to decide on their destiny

regardless of the consequences that would follow.2. We demand that the Abyei Referendum Commission be urgently formed and the

AU to name her nominee for the chairmanship of the Commission and to set theschedule for voters registration, voting exercise and results announcement.

3. The AU seems to have exhausted all her strategies and has no abilities andpowers to enforce the Proposal on Final Status of Abyei Area on the two countries(South Sudan and Sudan). Since the Proposal has been on the AU table for fullyear without any tangible action, it would be wise enough and more practical for

the AU to declare her inability to resolve the Abyei issue within the African houseand therefore should refer the Abyei issue to the UN Security Council for further

actions.4. The Ngok Dinka community ask the AU to intervene to stop Sudan government

from excavating oil in Abyei area until mechanisms are agreed on by the twocountries (South Sudan & Sudan) for equitable and fair sharing of the oilrevenues that put into account welfare and sustainable development of the Abyei

area.5. We strongly call upon AU and UNISFA to ensure full withdrawal of Sudan Armed

Forces (SAF) from various areas within Abyei area borders especially thosestationed in Diffra (Kech) oil fields. The presence of SAF and other pro-Khartoummilitias inform of oil police in many parts of Abyei area is a grave violation to theUN Security Councils resolution NO 2046 and this would continue to posethreats to civilians safety in the area.

6.

We unreservedly reject formation of joint administration with the Missirriyah asThe Hague 2009 ruling already delimited the Ngok Dinka areas and excluded theMissirriyah which means they dont have any legal and constitutional rights onAbyei political affairs.

7. The AU should be aware that if the referendum is not held as agreed in October,2013, then the Ngok Dinka chiefdoms would not allow by any mean, theMissirriyah nomads to graze their livestock in Abyei region until Abyei referendum

has been conducted.

Signed on behalf of Abyei Civil Society Organisations by:

Dr. Rou Manyiel Rou

Chairperson

Abyei Civil Society Organisation (ACSOs)

Abyei area

September 10th, 2013