Abyei Arbitration Final Award

BBC
Page last updated at 12:03 GMT, Wednesday, 22 July 2009 13:03 UK

North and south Sudan say they accept a border ruling by judges in The
Hague that gives a big oilfield to the north.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration has redrawn the boundaries of Abyei
region, which became a flashpoint during a 22-year-long war between
north and south.

The judges decided not to abide by the borders proposed after the 2005
peace deal, which the north had rejected.

Instead it ruled that several areas - including the Heglig oilfied -
were not part of Abyei.

Although The Hague court was deciding where Abyei's borders lay rather
than who owned the land, analysts say the ruling was crucial in
determining the ownership of the oilfields.

Abyei's inhabitants will be asked in a referendum in 2011 whether they
want to be a part of north or south Sudan - and analysts say they are
likely to opt for a union with the south.

By reducing the size of Abyei compared with the 2005 proposals, the
court has effectively awarded more land and mineral wealth to the
north.

The BBC's James Copnall in the capital, Khartoum, says the reaction on
the ground to the judges' ruling will be a key test of the peace
between north and south.

'Victory for peace'

Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed, the head of the northern government delegation
at The Hague, called the decision a victory.

"We welcome the fact that the oilfields are now excluded from the
Abyei area, particularly the Heglig oil field," the Associated Press
quoted him as saying.

The south's delegate Riak Machar, vice president in southern Sudan's
semi-autonomous government, described the decision as "balanced" and
said he was committed to respecting it.

"I think this is going to consolidate peace in Sudan. It is a victory
for the Sudanese people and a victory for peace," he said.

The issue was referred to The Hague last year after clashes broke out
in Abyei town, killing about 100 people and forcing tens of thousands
to flee.

UN peacekeepers beefed up their presence in Abyei this week amid fears
that a controversial ruling could spark violence.

Douglas Johnson, who was part of the international panel who drew up
the 2005 border proposals, said the Hague agreement had respected
ethnic boundaries as well as north and south rivalries.

"Each side can say they were right about something, and each side can
come away feeling that they have been given something from this
arrangement," he told the BBC World Service.

Rights 'guaranteed'

The area is home to Arab cattle herders known as the Misseriya who are
loyal to the north, and the Dinka Ngok, part of the largest ethnic
group of the south.

Both sides compete for resources like land for grazing and water -
rivalries that were exploited during the civil war with both sides
being used as proxy armies.

The conflict between the mainly Muslim north and the Christian and
animist south claimed 1.5 million lives.

UN special envoy to Sudan Ashraf Qazi said the Abyei border ruling
would pave the way for the 2005 peace deal to be implemented as a
whole.

"The rights of both communities have been guaranteed as a matter of
international law," he said.

"So even if anybody is not 100% satisfied, I do believe this has been
a win-win decision for both sides."

As part of the peace agreement the south will hold a referendum in
2011 on whether to become independent from the north.

END1

2. Hague court redefines Sudan's Abyei boundaries
Wed Jul 22, 2009 1:03pm GMT

* Court redefines Abyei boundaries

* Both sides commit to implementing agreement

* Major oilfield now within northern Sudan

By Aaron Gray-Block

THE HAGUE, July 22 (Reuters) - An international court redefined the
boundaries of the disputed oil-producing Abyei area claimed by both
north and south Sudan, but both groups pledged to respect the ruling.

The borders of Abyei, often called the "Kashmir" of Sudan's
north-south conflict and coveted by both sides, were outlined by an
international panel after a 2005 peace agreement that ended more than
20 years of civil war between north and south Sudan.

But after Sudan's government challenged the boundaries, a deal was
reached with the former southern rebels, the Sudan People's Liberation
Movement (SPLM), to refer the issue to the Permanent Court of
Arbitration in The Hague.

Both sides promised to accept Wednesday's decision by the court.

"We want peace. We think this decision is going to consolidate the
peace," said Riek Machar, the SPLM's representative. "We came to see
justice and it's a decision we will respect."

Abyei has been promised a referendum in January 2011 on whether it
wants to join north or south Sudan. On the same day, south Sudan as a
whole has been promised a vote on whether to become an independent
country.

Elections have also been scheduled for April 2010.

But in May last year, fighting erupted again between South Sudanese
former rebels and northern government forces in the Abyei region.
(Editing by Giles Elgood)

END2

3. U.N. says Sudan Abyei ruling a "win-win" decision
Wed Jul 22, 2009 10:52am GMT

ABYEI, Sudan, July 22 (Reuters) - The head of the United Nations in
Sudan said a Hague court ruling on the borders of the disputed
oil-producing Abyei area was a "win-win decision for both sides" that
would aid implementation of a 2005 peace deal.

"This will pave the way for the peaceful implementation of the
(north-south) Comprehensive Peace Agreement as a whole. The rights of
both communities have been guaranteed as a matter of international
law," U.N. special representative Ashraf Qazi told journalists in
Abyei on Wednesday.

"So even if anybody is not 100 percent satisfied, I do believe this
has been a win-win decision for both sides," he said. (Reporting by
Andrew Heavens; Writing by Cynthia Johnston; Editing by Louise
Ireland)

© Thomson Reuters 2009