The European Union is greatly concerned about the recent escalation of violence in Abyei in Sudan. If not urgently resolved, this latest crisis could pose a serious threat to the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
The European Union calls upon the partners in the Sudanese Government of National Unity to immediately cease all hostilities, to respect the ceasefire agreed upon and secure the full implementation of the security arrangements set out in the CPA. The respective forces should be withdrawn and the Joint Integrated Units deployed in Abyei.
It is first and foremost the responsibility of the two parties to refrain from any armed confrontation and seek a peaceful settlement of their dispute in accordance with the provisions of the CPA. The European Union stands ready to support the parties in this endeavour in which they should make full use of the CPA mandated Assessment and Evaluation Commission.
The violent clashes in Abyei have already caused the displacement of many thousands of civilians and created a serious humanitarian crisis in the area. It is a clear responsibility of both sides to protect the civilian population and respect full and unhindered access for the humanitarian actors to reach the people in need.
The EU calls upon both parties to fully cooperate with UNMIS monitoring and verification in the Abyei region, and to ensure that its staff have full and unhindered access to all areas in, and neighbouring to, Abyei.
The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia align themselves with this declaration.
* Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
