National Congress issues statement on what happened recently in Abyei town

Khartoum
March 30 (SUNA)

The National Congress said it has followed up what happened on March 26 in Abyei town of a unilateral declaration of forming Abyei Administration by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and what accompanied this declaration of intensive deployment of the forces of the SPLM north of Abyei town.

In a statement it issued Sunday, the National Congress added that it also followed up attempts by the said administration to impose its authorities as fait accompli and impose its authorities on the national and local institutions there.

The statement expressed the strong rejection of the National Congress to this unilateral act, explaining that the Presidency is the only body that has the right to form the Abyei Administration in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the interim national constitution.

The statement said this act represents a stark violation to the CPA and against the spirit of the partnership and its institutions.

The statement pointed out that the two partners agreed when they surpassed the last crisis that the Presidency shall assume the file of Abyei and that the question has remained under continuous deliberations by the Presidency, adding that a work team assigned by the Presidency held a number of sittings and made marked progress towards reaching a common vision.

The statement pointed out that this unilateral act affects the security situation which is already tense in the area because of deployment by SPLA of its forces in the transitional zones in violation of the security arrangements protocol.

The statement stressed that dialogue is the sole means of solving Abyei issue, calling for immediate end to the administration announced recently and its withdrawal from Abyei town, returning the SPLA forces deployed around the town to their previous sites under the monitoring of the joint military committee and halting any unilateral steps that threaten the stability of the area and spoil the atmosphere of peace and responsible national dialogue.

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