Hundreds of Ngok Dinka of Abyei on Tuesday marked the fourth anniversary of their unilateral referendum to be part of South Sudan, call ing on the leaders of Sudan and South Sudan to resolve the final status of their area.
The appeal was made on Tuesday ahead of Salva Kiir and Omer Beshir’s meeting in Khartoum for a presidential summit on Wednesday.
Abyei Chief Administrator Kuol Arop Kuol says for the past four years, the two leaders have neither recognized the results of the referendum nor did anything to resolve the dispute.
Ngok Dinka community voted on October 31st, 2013 in a unilateral referendum, 99.8 percent of voted to join the Republic of South Sudan.
Abyei Finance Administrator Malony Tong Ngor believes the international community is tired of seeing the two countries’ failure to resolve their dispute over Abyei.
He insists the Ngok Dinka community has no regretted for their decision to join South Sudan despite the challenges.
Malual Yak, a traditional leader from Abyei who resides in Juba, says his community feels marginalized by both the Sudan and South Sudan governments.
He adds that the two countries have forgotten the rights of the Abyei people.
Yak urges South Sudan President Salva Kiir and Sudan president Omar Al Bashir to pay attention to the suffering of Abyei people.
Another Abyei resident, Ayen Nywat, says Abyei people often feel embarrassed whenever they participate in community events in South Sudan.
Abyei residents appeal to the international community, the African Union and IGAD to resolve the long dispute over Abyei.