GoSS: condemn Abyei invasion by the SAF and calls International Community to act.

 Juba. Ater Garang Ariath.

 The Government of Southern Sudan in the Press statement issued on Monday by the Minister of Information and Official Spokesperson of the Government of Southern Sudan Dr. Barnabas Marial Benjamin said Abyei invaded by the Sudan Army Forced is illegal. The Minister made this remark while addressing the diplomats and journalists in his Ministry coincide with the peaceful procession stage by the citizens ahead of United Nation Security Council visits to Juba condemning Bashir decisions over Abyei. We condemn the invasion because it is unconstitutional and against the Abyei protocol which was signed in 2005, regarding the Abyei issue, the Government of Southern Sudan believed that it has been resolved by the Abyei protocol, said the Minister. When the Sudan Government protested against the Abyei border, a group of experts, known as the Abyei Border Commission (ABC) was mandated by the Inter- Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mediators to determine the border at it stood in 1905 Benjamin stresses. The ABC rejected by the ruling National Congress Party(NCP) in the North which opted to go to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, the Netherlands said Benjamin. The NCP accepted the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in July 2009 simply because they thought that Hegliege will not be included in the demarcation of borders and thought that the oilfields have become their own, he added. From then, they have been receiving hundred percent from the oil revenue in Hegliege, later they realized that the borders of the South had not yet been demarcated as they stood at independence in 1956 and Hegliege will become a part of South- Sudan since it is an indigenous home of the Pan- Ru Dinka ethnic of group in Unity State, the Minister descried. The Government is clear and without any doubt that there is no presence of the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) in Abyei as stipulated by the Abyei Protocol, the SPLA soldiers in are the component of the Joint Integrated Unit(JIU),like UNMIS, are mandated by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement(CPA) to monitor and protect the agreement, he pointed out. He maintained that the claims made by Sudan Government to blame the SPLA is unjustified, in order for the SPLA Joint Integrated Unit component to avoid militarily confrontation unnecessary with the SAF, they withdrew southwards. The JIU component of SAF withdrew a few days before the attack on Abyei, this is a master plan contemplated by the National Congress Party, said Benjamin. As far as the shooting at the United Nation Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) is concerned the Government of Southern Sudan would like to apologize for it, it is unfortunate that the UNMIS force in Abyei has failed to protect the civilians in the area, the Minister lamented. We would urge the UN Security Council to review the role of UNMIS in Sudan, we also reject a statement by a Senior UN official in Khartoum who stood side by side with the State Minister of Foreign Affairs condemning the SPLA for starting the fighting in Abyei, Benjamin expressed that he should have called for investigation before uttering such a statement. He disclose the details of aggression since 2008 deadly clashed saying that in May 2008 SAF Joint Integrate Unit component attacked and burned down the Abyei town, followed in February and March 2010 the same ruthless happened. On the 15th of May when SPLA JIU component withdrew from Domoloya to Abyei, they were attacked by SAF which left three SPLA soldiers killed and two seriously wounded, when SPLA, JIU withdrew from Omkariath North of Abyei they were ambushed by SAF and one SPLA soldier was killed and two were wounded said the Minister. He further noted that since the beginning of this year 2011 the Sudan Army Forces began their plans to occupy Abyei by force, meanwhile pressing that these preparation include mobilization of the Popular Defense Forces (PDF) that targeted villages and innocents civilians during the 21 years of war displacing millions of the people and abducting others to slavery in the north. These militias are now active around the borders of Abyei and Unity State, on top of it SAF have transported a number of Janjweed militias forces from Darfur to the borders of Southern Kordofan, Abyei and Southern Sudan he added. SAF have completely militarized the borders with heavy mechanized units additional division from Rodoom, Muglad, Defra in addition to distribution of more than 150 000 AK 47 to the Messiriya Arab militia he revealed. After obstructing implementation of the Hague Declaration on Abyei , mapping and demarcating , SAF have began their final plan to physically occupy Abyei by force, and are now creating pretexts and reasons . All the provocations since last year 2010, air bombardments to border areas of South Sudan, recruitment and armament of Southern Sudanese militias to attack border and oil producing States of Unity and Upper Nile is part of the SAF strategic plan against South Sudan and its people, the Minister put it. As SAF started moving out from Abyei in its preparation to attack and capture Abyei by Force at Alal on 19th of May 2011 night, and their militias composed of forces of General Peter Gatdet and PDF attacked Mankien area in Unity State and were repulsed on 20 of May 2011. He Conclude that the Sudan People Liberation Army is still committed to the ceasefire and the security arrangement of the CPA and shall only act on self-defense when necessary. He emphasized that the solutions to Abyei crisis is wholly responsibility of the United Nation Security Council, we believe that the solutions to the Abyei crisis is for the UN Security Council to immediately request the Government of Sudan to withdraw SAF from Abyei because this is violation of the CPA and the Sudanese Constitution. We also urge SAF to stop looting property and breaking into shops and killing innocent women and children, it is the responsibility of the UN Security Council to see to it that killed an innocent civilian, said Benjamin.