My vision for resolving the Abyei issue
Balqis Badri
- Quoting public opinion -
There are two aspects to Abyei's political, administrative and economic problem, and the solution to resolving the dispute over Abyei's discovered oil wealth is as follows: 1- Agreement to form an economic committee to manage the oil wealth in Abyei, provided that the committee is made up of capable and neutral representatives, one appointed by the President of the Republic, another appointed by the Prime Minister of the Southern Region, a third appointed by the Governor of Bahr al-Ghazal, another appointed by the Governor of Kordofan, and representatives from Abyei with representatives appointed internationally through International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
2. That it be agreed that oil revenues from Abyei will be distributed as follows: A. It is distributed among pastoralist and nomadic groups in Sudan in specific proportions: 10% for the Red Sea, 10 x 3% for each of the Darfur states, 10% for Greater Kordofan State, 10% for Upper Nile State, 10% for Bahr el Ghazal State, 10% for Equatoria, 10% for the rest of the southern states, 5% for Abyei for development, and 5% for Abyei to manage the work of the national committees and the Governing Council. 3. It should be agreed that the distribution of oil resources to Abyei and the Economic Committee will be valid for a period of 25 years, whether the south becomes an independent state or Sudan remains unified, and it can be renewed for another 25 years. 4. As for the political-administrative aspect, Abyei is governed by a governor and a governing council. The residents of Abyei elect the governor every two years. The election shall be alternately, once for a Dinka governor and once for a Misseriya governor. In each round, only the Dinka or the Misseriya have the right to compete, but all citizens have the right to vote to ensure equal opportunity to administer government by both groups. As for the Governing Council, it is appointed as follows: The President of the Republic appoints one member, the head of the regional government in the south appoints one, the governors of Bahr el-Ghazal and Kordofan each appoint one, and the governor of Abyei appoints one. The five members become responsible for maintaining security, reviewing government plans, and managing self-determination processes, etc., as agreed upon later. 5. It should be agreed that the administrative status of Abyei, as we explained above, applies for a period of 25 years, after which the citizens of Abyei have the right to self-determination in the event of the secession of the south, and they can decide on three possibilities: - A. Join the South. for. Join the North. T. Their administrative status will continue as it is for another 25 years. Considering their area as a neutral zone. After 25 years, another fate will be decided based on the same three options. Then, new borders are drawn on the basis of their dependency on the south if it secedes, or the north, or it becomes a neutral zone if agreed upon. If the decision is made to join the South or the North in the event of the secession of the South, the economic status of the committee and the distribution of oil resources will only be valid for a period of 50 years, after which the oil resources will belong to the party that was chosen to join, that is, after 50 years have passed. This vision enables all Sudanese, especially the most marginalized, the herders and Bedouins, to develop. It gives all Sudanese a share in development from the wealth of their country, which they have lived in for more than two centuries and consider it their extended country. At the same time, it is consistent with the logic and agreement on dividing wealth signed by 50% for both the South and the North. This vision gives the opportunity for cross-fertilization and peaceful coexistence between the tribes of southern and northern Sudan in the adjacent border states by focusing development on contact groups of nomads and herders, which reduces the possibility of border tribal conflict between the states. The development of these areas lies in the development of water, environmental, animal and agricultural resources and industries related to livestock and the development of human education, skills and health. If there is controversy that this proposal opens the door for other states to have the right to self-determination and that this will lead to drawing new borders for the state of Sudan. So I say that the door was opened when we agreed on the principle for a large part of the lands, that is, the south, not to mention Abyei. If the people of Sudan are unable to achieve a sense of Sudanese nationalism and patriotism, and some become restless and do not feel this, then they have the right to choose a non-Sudanese identity. The Soviet Union, which was larger than Sudan, was divided. Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and others were divided. A unified Sudan with its borders is a recent era in terms of the formation of states. You cannot impose on others a sense of nationalism and patriotism that they do not feel. Accordingly, the principle is accepted by the government and others. If it is granted to a group, it cannot deprive others of that. Fifty years in a people's life is not a long time to wait to decide their fate. Therefore, in order to reach a solution to the big problem and achieve peace, this proposal is a middle and compromise solution, and even if it does not satisfy either party, it achieves development for the region and stability for marginalized groups of Sudanese people. It takes the principle of the program and human development as the goal and not the principle of deals and settlement of interests. Is this proposal from a developmental standpoint, from the standpoint of achieving the preservation of citizen rights, the creation of democracy, and the participation of the people of the region in governing their region? Does it meet the higher goals? I hope that the movement will give up subjecting Abyei to self-determination after six years, and be patient to extend that to after 25 years, which is not difficult, and the government must concede by giving Abyei that right, just like the rest of the southern states, as it is a contact area whose specificity must be taken into account in the peace agreement. Why do we anticipate things as if separation is inevitable? Why the fear of precedents? The precedent was established in the Machakos Agreement. Let us settle ourselves in Sudan with new maps geographically or just politically and culturally within the framework of the old geographical map. Failure to accept reality makes us follow the dead-end path followed by peoples who did not find a path to stability and security, or if we were rational people who accepted reality and coexisted with it to pave the way to stability, as other peoples did. I swear to God, the success