Norway condemns attack on UN in Abyei

Norway condemns the attack on the UNISFA convoy in Abyei on 4 May in the strongest possible terms. Among the fatalities were an Ethiopian peacekeeper, the paramount chief of the Ngok Dinka tribe, Kuol Deng Majok, who was travelling in the convoy, and several young people.
 
“Attacks on UN peacekeepers cannot be tolerated. This attack must be investigated and those responsible must be brought to justice,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.
 
There is a real danger that the attack will create a negative dynamic between the communities in Abyei and affect relations between Sudan and South Sudan. It is crucial that all parties now show restraint and do their utmost to prevent a fragile situation from deteriorating further.
 
The authorities in Sudan and South Sudan bear a special responsibility for making sure UNISFA can fully exercise its mandate. The Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the  Abyei Area, signed by Sudan and South Sudan, sets out that Abyei should be a ‘weapons-free area’. We therefore call on the two governments not to arm their citizens.
 
Norway supports the Abyei road map, which is accorded a central place in UN Security Council resolution 2046 and in the Mbeki panel’s Abyei proposal. The future of Abyei is to be decided by a referendum, in accordance with the peace agreement of 2005.
 
“Sudan and South Sudan must immediately start to implement the road map that will lead to the referendum,” Mr Eide said.
 
Norway urges the parties to establish the temporary Abyei Area Administration and the Abyei Police without delay. The implementation in March 2013 of the agreements of 27 September 2012 between South Sudan and Sudan is an indication that there is political will to overcome obstacles in both countries. The leadership shown by Presidents Salva Kiir and Omar al-Bashir recently is also essential for  overcoming the differences over Abyei.