August 24th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – The disputed Abyei area is an indisputable Sudanese territory, the Deputy Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo who is nicknamed ‘Hemeti’ said Friday.
Abyei is a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan and its final status was supposed to end with a referendum provided for in a 2005 peace agreement known as the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed by former rebel group, SPLM/A, with the government in Khartoum.
A unilateral referendum in October 2013 was annulled by both Juba and Khartoum because it lacked legal basis. The international community also turned its back on the vote which favored the disputed area joining South Sudan by over 90 percent.
Speaking yesterday at Osman Hassan Al-Bashir mosque in Kafouri following Friday prayers, General Hemeti said Abyei is an indisputable Sudanese territory.
“Abyei is indisputably a Sudanese territory,” Hemeti who is believed to be the country’s most powerful man said. “And it is by no way that we can give up on it because its departure from our custody means the departure of the whole country.”
Hemeti further reiterated the Sudanese commitment to all protocols and documents signed between Sudan and South Sudan on Abyei.
He however warned that the change of the government in Khartoum doesn’t mean change of the Sudanese stance towards Abyei.
“We are committed to solving the Abyei problem in accordance with all the documents singed between us and them,” he said.
“But let me say this: people should not think that the change of the regime in Khartoum should necessarily means change of our stance towards our territories claimed by other people,” he added.
It is not clear why General Hemeti who commands the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) made the remarks.
However, in late July, President Salva Kiir assigned the file of Abyei area to Deng Alor, a diplomat who strongly favors Abyei joining South Sudan.
