Fully Implement Abyei Protocol, Urges Youth Forum

9 November 2010 – (Khartoum) – The Southern Sudanese Youth Forum for the Abyei Referendum is calling on the CPA partners to ensure the full and timely implementation of the Abyei protocol in the CPA.

The secretary-general of the forum Mister Jeremiah Doyak told the press on Sunday in Khartoum that a delay or postponement of the Abyei referendum is a violation of the CPA.

[Jeremiah Doyak]: “To resolve the issue once and for all, the rulings of the international court have to be implemented. The Abyei referendum should also take place as stipulated by the CPA. Let’s also remember that it is very important that the referendum commission is formed as soon as possible, so that the Abyei referendum happens on time. It is of importance that the nine Dinka Ng’ok chiefdoms are engaged in the on-going talks or any other talk concerning Abyei for that matter. The forum believes that any postponement of the referendum exercise will be a violation of the Abyei protocol and the CPA.”

The chairperson of the forum Alor Kuol Aloung urged the people of Abyei residing in the north and other areas to return to Abyei ahead of the referendum.

[Alor Kuol Along]: “The forum has got so many activities such as informing the people of the nine Dinka Ng'ok chiefdoms of the importance of their return to the area voluntarily, so as to register as Abyei residents in time. The presence of those people in Abyei is very important, and that is why we are calling on them to return as soon as possible to make the upcoming referendum a successful and timely exercise.”

Fresh talks between the NCP and SPLM started on Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia after initial talks last month reached a deadlock on who is eligible to vote in the Abyei referendum which is supposed to take place simultaneously with the southern referendum in January 2011.