Agency worried over Nuba
By Jacob Idris
Sudan Mirror
Volume 1, Issue 13 | 29th March-11th April, 2004
A UN team visiting the Nuba Mountains has expressed concern over peace in the region.
The UN officials, representing military, political and logistic departments
visited Nuba Mountains to collect relevant information on what the Nuba people
require from the UN if a comprehensive peace agreement is signed.
The team said it was concerned about the Nuba Mountains and the security situation
on the ground.
They appealed to the authorities and people to provide them with relevant information
on what the people will need during the six years of the Interim Period.
We are very much concerned about the Nuba people and we are here to learn
and familiarize with the situation in Nuba Mountains so as to pave the way for
the United Nations operations if the peace is signed, the team said.
Mr Simon Kalo, the acting Governor of Nuba Mountains, said the last agreement
on security arrangements mentioned the withdrawal of SPLA troops to the South
but was silent about whether the Government troops would withdraw from Nuba
Mountains towards the North or not.
The UN team asked the participants whether they believed the two forces of
the Joint Integrated Units (JIU) can operate without the intervention of the
international community.
The Nuba unanimously called for the international community to intervene by
bringing peacekeeping forces into Nuba Mountains to guarantee the security in
the area.
A long list of needs was pointed out in a 25-minute meeting for the main eight
regional departments, county commissioners, county executive officers, and agencies
working in the Nuba Mountains.
They called for equity in areas of development, power sharing and wealth sharing.
We need agricultural facilities to enable the Nuba people to move towards
self-reliance and also reserve food for the expected family members coming from
the camps, the officials said. The UN should provide food and facilitate
transport for the southerners who are expected to leave the capital city and
join their families in Nuba territory during the the Interim Period.
They asked the UN to facilitate transport and resettlement, repatriation and rehabilitation facilities for the Nuba people who are expected to come back to develop the region. The UN should support the building of physical infrastructure such as roads, schools, hospitals, water and provide schools and health facilities, they said.