By Garang Malak

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Juba,

South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Monday evening formed a committee to dialogue with Sudan over the disputed Abyei area.

In a presidential decree, Kiir named his National Security Affairs Advisor Tut Gatlak to head the committee.

Gatlak is deputised by Minister of East African Affairs Deng Alor Kuol who is an Abyei native, and three other members from the National Legislative Assembly.

According to the decree, Assa Abas Akuei, Dr Luka Monoja, Deng Biong Mijak, Majur Babur Ajang, James Deng Lual, and Kom Kom Geng were appointed from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party side.

Kiir expects a monthly progress update from the committee.

The forming of the committee came a week after an attack on civilian Dunguop village of Abyei town that left at least 11 people dead and seven others injured, according to the area deputy administrator.

Disputed area

Abyei is a contested border town between Sudan and South Sudan. The two countries are yet to agree on the flow of the border since secession of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011.

Last year, the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) warned of the possibility of renewed clashes despite the ongoing peace efforts in the area.

UNISFA was deployed in June 2011 to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence, and protect the area from incursions by unauthorised militants. Civil society groups, however, said the area was attacked mostly because the UN forces did not counter the attacks.

There are 3,550 soldiers, 640 police personnel, including 148 individual police officers and three police units deployed in Abyei. As is tradition with most blue helmets, they are non-combat troops meant to defend civilians and prevent occurrence of violence.

The UNISFA, whose headquarters are located in Abyei town, operates in three Sectors—Sector North, Sector Central and Sector South—with Sector headquarters at Diffra, Abyei town area, and Athony, respectively.

South Sudan and Sudan are yet to agree on a joint administration, including a police force, for the Abyei area.

The area has faced occasional violence and cattle rustling incidents.

In 2019, the Undersecretary of the UN Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, called on South Sudan and Sudan to use their cordial bilateral relations to resolve the status of the Abyei region.