“It seems only a little while ago that we were ratcheting up our advocacy with our government and other friends of the international community to ensure a safe and timely referendum,” said Richard Parkins, executive director of the American Friends of the Episcopal Church of Sudan (AFRECS), referring to the January plebiscite when southerners voted almost unanimously to secede from the Islamic north.
“Those efforts were largely successful, but the case for advocacy remains compelling,” he added. “As Abyei becomes a target for Khartoum’s military thrust and as other border areas experience harassment and violence, the quest for peace and stability for the new South Sudan and protection for Christians in the north remains an urgent goal.”
Al-Bashir’s army seized Abyei after southern troops reportedly ambushed a convoy of northern forces, killing some 22 people. For several months, the north has been accused of burning and looting villages in Abyei.
A senior U.N. aid official, said May 25 that the violence in and around Abyei has driven up to 40,000 people from their homes.
