"Sudan's CPA: Where To Next?" Discussion In the UK House of Commons -- Associate Parliamentary Group on Sudan

Date: December 10th 2007
Venue: APG on Sudan - UK House of Commons
Chair: Mr David Drew MP, Chair of the APG on Sudan
Announced By Sudan APG (www.sudanapg.org) on Dec 5th, 2007

Main Speakers:
• Omer Siddig (Ambassador of Sudan to the UK)
• Kuyok Abol Kuyok (General Secretary of SPLM UK)
• Dr Douglas Johnson (Abyei Boundaries Commission)
• Michael O’Neill (UK Special Representative on Sudan)

Participants:
• United South Sudan Party (see USSP Leader's statement [PDF])
• Representatives of other Sudanese political parties
• Civil society groups
• Members of the Sudanese public in the UK
• Other interested parties

Issues Discussed (among others):
Abyei, South Kordofan & Blue Nile • Redeployment of SAF North of Border • Provisions for Census • South's Oil Share • President Bashir's Instigation of Popular Defence Forces to War • etc...

An interactive heated debate ensued between the representatives of the parties to the CPA (the Sudanese Ambassador's team and the SPLM UK Gen Sec's team). In addition, Dr Douglas Johnson of the ABC was forced to defend his (and the ABC's) position after being implicated by the Ambassador's team of "modifying" dates with regard to the ABC's mandate to define and demarcate the "Abyei Area" of the nine Ngok Dinka Chiefdoms transferred to Kordofan in 1905. The overall debate eventually engulfed the whole floor, and with so many participants eagerly raising their hands to give statements or ask questions, there was hardly enough opportunity for all. Dr Johnson underlined that the NCP may reject the ABC's report but their refusal to implement the Abyei Border Protocol constitutes a violation of CPA Article 2.6. He further stressed that without the implementation of the Abyei Border Protocol, the CPA effectively runs the risk of not being implemented at all!