The governments of Sudan and South Sudan have opened fresh talks on Abyei.
The talks resumed over the weekend in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital.
The delegation from Juba was led by Tut Gatluak, Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs.
The African Union (AU), United Nations Interim Security Forces for Abyei (UNISFA), and IGAD also sent representatives.
The second joint meeting between the states of South Sudan and Sudan on the Abyei region was held in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on Sunday, to discuss sustainable solutions to the issue and provide the necessary solutions to the local communities.
The meeting, City Review understands, discussed a myriad of issues related to peace, security, and humanitarian issues in the Abyei Administrative Area.
“The people of Abyei have suffered for so long, there is no peace in the area, and we (the government) need peace and security stability in the area,” Tut Gatluak
“Government of South Sudan is ready to solve the outstanding issues and the final status of the Abyei Administrative Area.”
He noted that the journey is too long, but said it is not difficult to reach an agreement on the final status of Abyei.
Tut stressed that the government of South Sudan will continue with the same efforts put in during the Sudan peace talks and the implementation of the Juba agreement to resolve the insecurity issues in Abyei.
However, he called on the two committees of South Sudan and Sudan, which are tasked with handling the Abyei file, to exert more efforts for lasting peace in the Abyei Area.
Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, called on the regional and international peace body to work together for the final status of the Abyei Administrative Area.
“Despite the challenges that Sudan is facing, we are not going to leave the people of Abyei until the region realizes the lasting peace,” he said.
Mohamed said the people of Abyei need peace, adding that they are trying to finalize the concerns of the people on peace.
He reiterated that the government of Sudan was trying its best to ensure Abyei gets lasting peace.
Mohamed pledged the government of Sudan’s cooperation with South Sudan to resolve the final status of Abyei and the insecurity issues.
He said as a committee tasked to address Abyei issues, they are ready to resolve the issues in Abyei amicably by consulting the communities in the area.
In October 2022, South Sudan and Sudan agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries to resolve the final status of Abyei.
Hamdan Dagalo and Tut Gatluak inked the deal on behalf of their countries.
Earlier, President Salva Kiir constituted a 10-member committee to initiate dialogue with the Sudanese government on the final status of the Abyei Administrative Area.
