UN Official Urges Sudan, South Sudan to Resolve Abyei Region’s Issue

The Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, urged Sudan and South Sudan to engage in a dialogue to resolve the issue of the Abyei region, in a way that supports peace, prosperity and development for the people of the region.

The UN official, in press statements yesterday expressed thanks to the government of South Sudan for organizing the meeting on the issue of the Abyei area, appreciating  the Vice-President of the Transitional Sovereign Council (TSC), General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and the South Sudan’s presidential advisor on security affairs, Tut Gatluak Manime.

“I think it’s important to start the process of engagement on the issue of the Abyei area and I know that until the revolution took place in Sudan there has been no movement on the issue of the Abyei area since 2013”, the UN official said.

She expected that when the parties engage on the issue after a long time, it will take some time for the issues to be settled.

The UN Secretary-General’s Envoy for the Horn of Africa, called on both governments to exert more time and efforts to end this process, stressing that the Office of the UN Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), headed by Maj. Gen. Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr, would do their utmost to support this process.

The UN official pointed out that the lack of interest of the two parties with the issue of Abyei area would make the residents suffer economic conditions, stressing the necessity to revive this process for the sake of economic activity so that people can live in peace and prevent fighting.