UN: 170,000 at risk in Sudan-South Sudan disputed Abyei

By Adel Abdul-Rahim

KHARTOUM

At least 170,000 people in the Sudan-South Sudan disputed region of Abyei are at risk, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) revealed Thursday.

“Out of the 170,000 people, 35,000 belong to the Bedouin Al-Messiria tribe, 15,000 hail from the Dinka tribe while 11,000 are refugees," OCHA said in a statement, without mentioning the origins of the rest.

According to OCHA, the danger is attributed to the shortage of basic public services and presence of the leftover arms and explosives, in reference to the Sudanese civil war between Sudanese government and rebels.

The civil war in Abyei ended with signing a peace agreement in 2005 which led later to the separation of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011.

In 2011, South Sudan split from Sudan after a referendum the same year in the country.

Two years after separation, a civil war broke out in South Sudan between government and opposition forces.

Since South Sudan seceded from Sudan, differences have continued to dog the two countries, especially over the disputed Abyei region and oil transit fees that Juba pays to Khartoum.

İn October,2017, Khartoum and Juba agreed to reactivate a bilateral security agreement -- following a five-year hiatus -- that calls for the establishment of a demilitarized zone (DMZ) along their shared borders.

By Adel Abdul-Rahim

KHARTOUM

At least 170,000 people in the Sudan-South Sudan disputed region of Abyei are at risk, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) revealed Thursday.

The civil war in Abyei ended with signing a peace agreement in 2005 which led later to the separation of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011.

In 2011, South Sudan split from Sudan after a referendum the same year in the country.

Two years after separation, a civil war broke out in South Sudan between government and opposition forces.

Since South Sudan seceded from Sudan, differences have continued to dog the two countries, especially over the disputed Abyei region and oil transit fees that Juba pays to Khartoum.