Sudan and South Sudan: Abyei remains sticking point - The Africa Report

Sudan and South Sudan have differed on proposals to end their deadly border disputes despite the highly productive talks held in neighbouring Ethiopia.

Juba wants the disputes solved through a referendum while Khartoum prefers a political solution.

The two countries have fought over the oil rich Abyei region, which separates their territories and the tension escalated to a cross border war early this year. Both countries claim to possess evidence that the region is within their borders.


South Sudan's Cabinet Affairs minister Deng Alor Kuol told journalists on Tuesday that a political solution was out of the question.

"We can not allow Abyei's status to be dealt with politically," he said. "We can not accept Sudan's claim that the status of the contested Abyei region should be resolved politically rather than through a referendum."

Alor who had just returned from Kenya said South Sudan had decided to refer the Abyei issue to the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. He said that the AU will subsequently table it at the UN Security Council.


"The decision of the Sudan people's liberation Movement (SPLM), the government of the Republic of South Sudan and President Kiir in the latest meetings was that Abyei's file should be moved to the Africa Union  peace and security council and then to the UN security council," he said.

The AU especially (former South African President Thabo) Mbeki's committee will this month present the issue to the UN Security Council possibly on the third week of this month.


Sudan argues a referendum would not solve the dispute. The country's Foreign Affairs ministry spokesperson Al-Obeid Ahmed Marawah said Sudan prefered  a political solution. "A referendum might bring war between the two countries," he said.

Recently the two countries reached an agreement that saw South Sudan resuming oil exports through Sudan.