Abyei Referendum Talks Ongoing, Possibility of Deal Unclear

Abyei Referendum Talks Ongoing, Possibility of Deal Unclear

The US remains positive that a deal can be reached in ongoing talks between northern and southern authorities in Sudan over preparations for a referendum in the oil-rich Abyei region on 9 January. The territory is set to vote to either remain part of northern Sudan or join the autonomous south, on the same day that the latter is expected to vote for independence in a separate referendum. US officials including Special Envoy Scott Gration and veteran diplomat Princeton Lyman are currently mediating talks between the north’s National Congress Party (NCP) and the south’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Addis Ababa. “The parties do not agree on every detail, but we certainly believe that an agreement on Abyei is possible,” US Assistant Secretary of State Phillip Crowley said on 5 October.

The main issues being confronted in the talks, which are a continuation of meetings held last month in New York, are membership in the region’s referendum commission, Abyei’s borders, designating a budget for the referendum, and approving voter eligibility. NCP has insisted that the Arab cattle-herding Missiriya tribe, which spends months each year in northern Abyei, be allowed to vote, but SPLM disputes this. It has referred to a 2008 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that assigned voting rights solely to the Dinka Ngok. “If there is no agreement there will be no room for a referendum in Abyei,” Sudan’s Second Vice-President Ali Osman Taha told reporters on 4 October. “The challenge is to reach an agreement that will allow the referendum to take place as scheduled.”

“It is going to be hard, and it is difficult to deal with Khartoum, to try and figure out what they want and how they are intending to go forward,” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at a meeting on 5 October. But Mr Crowley noted that there have so far been “good discussions” between Missiriya and Dinka Ngok leaders. The former group has previously threatened violence that would derail the referendum if it is prevented from voting.

South Sudan Sets Vote Registration Timetable

South Sudan has meanwhile set a timetable for preparations for its vote on independence. Voter registration will begin on 14 November, with the final referendum registers set to be completed and released by 31 December. While indicating progress in the vote preparations, which are drastically behind schedule, the December date is short of the 90-day minimum to voting mandated by the 2009 Referendum Act. The delay was reportedly made to allow for staff training and the delivery of voting materials. Voting will take place across the entire country, but only those voters of southern origin will be eligible. Polls will also be conducted in four neighboring countries – Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Egypt – as well as in the US, UK, Australia and Canada, through civic organizations. US-based International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) will oversee the distribution of voting materials.

Copyright MEES 2010.