CEPO’s Yakani welcomes UN initiative to mediate Abyei dispute between Arabs, Ngok Dinka

JUBA – South Sudan prominent activist and executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, has welcomed a decision by the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) to mediate between South Sudan’s Ngok Dinka Community and the Misseriya Community of Sudan.

Attacks by Arab militias have in recent years increased leading to killings and displacement of Ngok Dinka civilians raising concerns from local activists as well as from among international organizations operating in the disputed region of Abyei such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

The UNISFA has come up with an initiate to organize a peace conference between Ngok and the Arab Misseriya in Uganda which will take place between May 16 and May 19 in an attempt to bring the two communities together to curtail further violence in the area.

In a statement, CEPO’s Yakani welcomed the decision and thanked the UNISFA for the initiative which he said would help in ending violence between the long-time foes.

“Community Empowerment for Progress Organization welcomed and congratulates UNISFA for this remarkable move. Non-violent approach for resolving political difference through dialogue is the only pathway for peaceful settlement of Abyei status,” the CEPO said in the statement extended to Sudans Post on Friday evening.

Yakani described the initiative as “positive movement and responses to the call for peaceful settlement of the issues on the fate of Abyei status. Losing human lives and properties continuously due to armed violence between Ngok Dinka and Misseriya is unacceptable act and it should be stop immediately through dialogue.”

Yakani condemned recent attacks on civilians in Abyei as criminal activities and urged the mediators to carry out the mediation process and the entire talk within the framework of Abyei protocol provided for in Chapter four of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005 in Nairobi Kenya by the Sudanese government and then rebel movement SPLM/SPLA.

“The recent violate incidences in Abyei is absolutely criminal acts that can be describe as crime against humanity. UNISFA have the obligation to ensure that human lives, properties and societal growth in Abyei is prevented from any form of violence,” he said.

“The expected Ngok Dinka and Misseriya peace talks in Uganda should be within the legal framework of the Abyei protocol as enshrined in the chapter IV date 26th May, 2004 in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in 2005,” he added.

Yakani further warned that “Any attempt to undermine this legal framework will be an attempt of undemocratic resolution on the status of Abyei.”

The group further called “on UNISFA leadership to take objective and concrete action-oriented responsibility for facilitating the Uganda Ngok Dinka and Misseriya peace talks. It is essential that African Union and IGAD should be fully and effectively involved in the peace talks.”

It further “urged both Ngok Dinka and Misseriya representatives to take primary responsibility for making peace and stability prevail in Abyei. Violent politicking is not beneficial to anyone and it may constitute an act of attempting to wage efforts for committing crime against humanity.”