By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 26 --
The UN's new
report on
Abyei, to
become public
under symbol
S/2014/126,
paints a picture
of widespread
violations by
both Sudan and
South Sudan,
in the shadow
of the crisis
in the latter.
From South
Sudan, the UN
report says
its
all-Ethiopia
UNISFA mission
in Abyei "observed
the presence
around 660
military
elements of
the SPLA and
South Sudan
National
Police Service...
armed with
AK-47 rifles
and anti-tank
rocket
propelled
grenades; many
of them have
established
military-type
settlements,
including fire
trenches."
This of course
violates the
June 2011
agreement; the
UN adds that
it "poses
security risks
to Misseriya
nomads
migrating
through the
area."
Sudan, on the
other hand, is
reported also
violate the
agreement:
"Sudan oil police
continued to
maintain
approximately
120 to 150
personnel
inside the
Diffra oil
complex in
northern
Abyei... about
30 Sudan oil
personnel were
observed in
the vicinity
of the Beer
Adrak oil pump
station and in
Mekines,
outside their
usual area of
deployment in
the Diffra oil
complex." What
now?
The last time
the UN
Security
Council
considered
Abyei, back on
November 25,
2013, Sudan's
and South
Sudan's
ambassadors
traded
speeches about
Abyei in the
Council, and
things got
personal.
While
the Security
Council urged
against the
unilateral
referendum
held in Abyei,
South Sudan's
Francis Deng
on Monday
praised it. He
said the
Miseriya had
been out of
the area "in
their own
homeland" 125
miles away
when the
referendum was
held.
Inner
City Press has
previously
reported that
Deng's family
comes from
Abyei, and
has questioned
if he owns
property
there. It
makes for a
more dramatic
story.
Sudan's
Permanent
Representative
Daffa-Alla
Elhag Ali
Osman took the
floor to say
Deng's speech
was against
the current
tenor between
Khartoum and
Juba, and was
based on
"personal
interests" and
not the
interests of
the whole of
South Sudan.
It's
rare these
days at the UN
for arguments
to turn
personal in
this way.
Relatedly,
some in the
Council note
that soon
after
Ambassador
Susan Rice was
promoted to
Washington,
there were no
more twice a
month meetings
on Sudan and
South Sudan.
In fairness we
report that
others say
that's a
coincidence.
Like Deng's
personal
story? Both
are
compelling.
Now on
February 26,
Daffa-Alla has
moved on from
his posting in
New York, and
it is reported
that Francis
Deng has been
recalled to
Juba. Watch
this site.
, 
