![Activist Edmund Yakani speaks during the ceremony to extend the transitional period for 24 months on August 5, 2022. [Photo by presidency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/296167924_1115103562451035_6690879285386675132_n.jpg?resize=533%2C300&ssl=1)
On Monday, Sudan and South Sudan agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries to resolve the final status of Abyei.
The deal was signed by President Salva Kiir’s security advisor Tut Gatluak Manimeh on behalf of South Sudan and General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the deputy chair of Sudan Sovereign Transitional Council, on behalf of Sudan.
Speaking to reporters in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, the Undersecretary in Sudan’s Foreign Affairs ministry, Ambassador Dafallah Al Hajj Ali said the two sides agreed to enhance joint cooperation and address outstanding issues on Abyei’s final status.
“The parties resolved to jointly expedite the provision of services to the citizens of Abyei and activate joint mechanisms to provide the necessary humanitarian services and create an appropriate environment for the communities in the region,” explained Dafallah.
“The two sides agreed to encourage social peace and community dialogue among different communities in Abyei as a gesture of trust building,” he added.
For his part, Gatluak lauded the spirit of cooperation from the two countries and said both sides agreed to reactivate mechanisms through which important matters on Abyei would kick-start discussions that would be forwarded to the leadership.
“The two sides agreed on a mechanism to jointly speed up the processes that would work together to oversee the provision of services to citizens of Abyei as well as play a role in coordinating, consolidating and harmonizing efforts to ensure the necessary humanitarian services and create an appropriate environment for the return of the displaced and allow communities to resume active participation in economic activities,” he stressed.
In reaction, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) welcomed the agreement and stressed that dialogue between the two countries is the only solution to resolve the dispute.
“CEPO welcomed the recent decision reached on development of roadmap for funding effective solution to the situation of Abyei status through the negotiating delegations established by the leadership in juba and Khartoum. Dialogue is the only pathway for finding the best solution to Abyei situation,” CEPO said.
Yakani who is the Executive Director of CEPO said the leaders should now commit themselves in compiling the roadmap and reminded them of the past agreements on Abyei which have been dishonored by both sides.
“Leadership in Juba and Khartoum should politically honor and enforce the decision on the development of roadmap for finding final effective solution to the situation in Abyei. In the past similar decisions were reached either dishonor by Juba or Khartoum. This time around let the political leadership in juba and Khartoum take primary responsibility of embracing the decision reached by their assigned delegates negotiating pathway for finding final solution on the status of Abyei,” Yakani stressed.
The prominent activist further called on the leaders of the two countries not to promote “the use dual citizenship awarded to the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka under the 2004 protocol on the conflict of Abyei through the comprehensive peace agreement of 2005 which led to the independence of South Sudan from the rest of Sudan in 2011.”
“The dual citizenship should not be by Juba and Khartoum as weapon of waging war against either of the two communities namely Misseriya and Ngok Dinka
Finally, CEPO is urging Juba and Khartoum to allow peaceful settlement of the conflict around the status of Abyei thorough effective and productive dialogue.”
