North Sudan defies UN call to Withdraw from Abyei

North Sudan defies UN call to Withdraw from Abyei

Sudan's northern army has vowed to hold territory it seized in the disputed oil-producing region of Abyei, defying a UN call to withdraw from the region.

The UN said that Khartoum sent tanks into Abyei town, the area's main settlement, on Saturday, after weeks of growing tension and accusations of skirmishes by both sides.

Call for withdrawal

The UN Security Council has called on the north to immediately withdraw forces from the positions taken in Abyei.

Representatives of council members were expected to meet the southern government in Juba on Monday after talks in Khartoum.

Thousands of people fled, leaving Abyei town empty, while food supplies have also been disrupted, an aid organisation said. UN personnel based in the area said they had not been able to resume patrols of the region due to fighting.

The development has raised fears as analysts say north-south fighting over Abyei could reignite civil war, as the south prepares to split away on July 9.

"Free citizens, your armed forces will hold all areas which the laws and agreements entrust to it. They will work on establishing peace and stability so the government can reach a solution and accord to ensure security and stability in the region," the northern army said late on Sunday.

The statement was carried by state television's website.

North Sudan says it sent in troops to clear out southern soldiers who it said had broken agreements by entering the area.  
The 2005 peace deal that ended two decades of civil war promised Abyei residents a referendum over whether to join the north or south but that never took place as neither side could agree on who was qualified to vote.

Crippled activities

Fighting in Abyei has forced thousands to flee their homes from Abyei town and surrounding villages to the southern Warrap state.

A programme manager at charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders), Gustavo Fernandez, said: "Abyei town is now empty. We saw trucks loaded with refugees today."

“About 50 wounded civilians had been treated, while the escalation had disrupted food supplies in Abyei,” he said.

A UN official said late on Sunday it was unclear when the UN mission in Sudan could resume patrols in Abyei area.

Control over Abyei remains the biggest point of contention in the countdown to the secession. Abyei contains fertile grazing land and oil. It has symbolic importance for both sides.

REUTERS/Williams