CPA: Still No Way Forward on Abyei

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001893 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ECON EPET SU SUBJECT: CPA: Still No Way Forward on Abyei ¶1. One year after the Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC) presented its report, the Abyei/Three Areas Working Group of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission (AEC) met on July 19 to try to discuss possible solutions to the deadlock on Abyei. The impasse has prevented the appointment of an Interim Abyei Area Administration, leaving the people in the region without any form of government support or services. Both the National Congress Party (NCP) representative and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) representative agreed that a pre-interim Abyei Area Administration should be appointed before the boundary dispute is resolved, a break from their previous position, but the nature and role of the administration remained in dispute. Both sides feared that this interim administration would create a de facto Abyei solution against their interests. ¶2. The entire working group, including the representatives from the NCP and SPLM, agreed that the need to deliver services and humanitarian support outweighed any other political decisions. However, when the discussions turned to which areas where to be served, the NCP representative pulled back and became worried that a pre-interim administration would create working Abyei boundaries that may influence a final decision. The SPLM representative demanded that any pre-interim administration have a fixed time limit and a schedule for a final resolution to prevent further stalling. ¶3. The working group discussed the possibility of having a pre-interim administration simply serve the people who are not currently being served, but the NCP representative felt this would establish de facto boundaries. The British representative suggested that the administration begin by serving the residents of Abyei town, which would certainly be part of any Abyei area. The SPLM representative objected to this approach, stressing the need to find a solution that helps all the people of Abyei and not just the urban dwellers. At the end of the meeting, both the NCP and SPLM representatives agreed to hold a separate bilateral discussion on possibilities for a pre-interim administration and report back to the AEC Working Group before the next AEC Plenary. The Working Group also decided to invite the UN, and perhaps the Multi-Donor Trust Fund, to brief the group on the humanitarian situation in Abyei and what needs to be done. ¶4. The Working Group also discussed the idea of inviting the technical experts from the Abyei Boundaries Commission to address the AEC and explain how it made its decisions in hope that this could shed light on a possible solution. The NCP representative felt that the opinions of the experts are already present in their report-- which, he added, exceeded its mandate -- so they would have nothing further to add. He also pointed out that the issue was sent to the Presidency after the NCP-SPLM meeting in May, with inviting the experts back as one possible option. If the AEC invited the experts back, he explained, it would pre-empt the Presidency. The NCP representative suggested that the AEC continue to pressure the Presidency for its decision on how to move forward. Charge d'Affairs Steinfeld said he believed inviting the experts back was well within the investigatory mandate of the AEC, and that the commission could benefit from talking to them. This issue will be discussed again at the next plenary in August. HUME