Det er lykkedes Sydafrikas tidligere præsident, Thabo Mbeki, at opnå enighed mellem de stridende parter om en tilbagetrækningsaftale fra byen Abyei i korridoren mellem Syd- og Nordsudan, skriver BBC. Forud for Sydsudans uafhængighed 9. juli har området været hærget af væbnede kampe mellem regeringstropper fra styret i det nordlige Sudan og SPLM-tropper, der repræsenterer styret i det sydlige Sudan, som har sendt næsten 200.000 på flugt.
Both northern and southern troops are to leave the area, to be replaced by Ethiopian peacekeepers, Mr Mbeki said.
This deal was first reported last week but details had not been confirmed. However, two days after the deal was announced, a South Sudan spokesman said rival forces had clashed once more.
Peacekeeping forces from Ethiopia
More than 100,000 people have fled the fighting in Abyei, the UN says. Another 60,000 have fled violence between pro-south communities and northern forces in the neighbouring South Kordofan state.
Some 4,000 Ethiopian peacekeeping troops would be brought in to keep the peace after the Sudanese army has left, he added.
Mr Mbeki said it was crucial that happened as quickly as possible and urged the Security Council to authorise their deployment without delay.
“That would expedite the process of the return of the displaced people to their areas and therefore improve the possibility to address humanitarian matters. And of course it would bring to an end this threat of violence and actual violence in the area,” he explained.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the agreement and called on the parties to abide to its provisions, “to demilitarise the area and establish an administration and police service”, a spokesman said.
