Southern Sudan Tells Security Council There Will be “no Return to War”

The president of the government of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, who also is the vice president in Sudan’s government of national unity, told visiting UN Security Council members that there will be “no return to war” over the disputed oil rich Abyei territory.

According to the Southern Sudan presidency press director, Ayom Wol Dhal, the Security Council delegation met Mayardit in Juba on Tuesday afternoon.

She said on Wednesday that Mayardit made a number of very strong and clear statements about the position of the government of Southern Sudan.

Asked about the movement of troops to the Abyei are from further north, Mayardit said told the Security Council: “We will not fight them. As long as there are people in this country who want peace, we will not go back to war”.

In May, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) clashed in the oil-rich area of Abyei, displacing over 90,000 people.

Dhal said Mayardit prefers to talk directly to President Omar al-Bashir to withdraw his northern troops out of the disputed area of Abyei because he believes there is a will for peace after the two decades of civil war between the north and south.

The meeting was co-chaired by South African ambassador Dumi Sami Khumalo and UK Ambassador John Sawer who stressed the usefulness of being able to discuss the situation with President Mayardit.

The delegation will continue to Khartoum for talks on Abyei and Darfur with senior members of the cabinet of the government of Sudan.

Source African Press Agency

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