Presidential summit on Abyei

Al Bashir & Salva Kiir, photo credit: The London Evening Post

The African Union (AU) called for an urgent meeting of the two presidents Al Bashir and Salva Kiir, to seek a solution for the flashpoint Abyei region after the killing of a Dinka tribal chief and an Ethiopian peacekeeper.

In this connection, the AU stressed that “this grave incident that occurred in Abyei serves to underscore that the status quo in Abyei is not tenable”.

In statement it issued on Thursday, on the latest developments in the situation in Abyei, the AU said : “The Council, having expressed its appreciation for the efforts by both President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir and President Salva Kiir to contain the crisis and prevent it from escalating, urges the two Heads of State, who have accepted responsibility for addressing the Abyei issue, to meet immediately, in order to address the impasse blocking the full implementation of the Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of Abyei Area, in particular the establishment of the key temporary institutions in Abyei, namely the Abyei Area Administration, the Abyei Area Council and the Abyei Police Service, and to work with AJOC and UNISFA to restore and maintain security in Abyei; the AU further urges the two Heads of State to reach agreement on the final status of Abyei, on the basis of the AUHIP proposal of 21 September 2012”.

Meanwhile, the two sides are expected to agree to the proposed meeting, particularly that president Kiir is scheduled to visit the country next Wednesday to witness delivery of the first oil shipment to international markets from Port-Sudan and to hold talks with officials in Khartoum on unsettled post-secession issues.

This will make it possible to formulate reconciliatory solutions that take into account the demands of both parties. As with any negotiation process, there are always issues which are more urgent than others.

Though the two sides are already expected to discuss the remaining issues, the African mediation's renewed proposal of an Al Bashir-Kiir summit represents a practical peak for the talks, and could mean that the mediation has already drawn up appropriate proposals to be presented at the summit on the most pressing issues, particularly Abyei and security issues to be discussed and approved at the highest level of power in the two countries.

The AU also urged the two governments to immediately take steps to implement confidence-building measures among the respective communities living in the Abyei area, including through reconciliation processes at the grass-roots level, as well as the introduction of programmes to assist in the return of internally displaced persons to their respective communities.