Sudan's (disputed oil town on the North/South border) Abyei 'ablaze' after capture by north

Source: Al Jazeera English

UN peacekeepers in disputed region report looting and burning of property after troops from north gain control of town.
Last Modified: May 23 2011 16:11

Sudan's disputed border town of Abyei is ablaze, with gunmen looting properties days after troops from the government in Khartoum entered the area, UN peacekeepers say.

The peacekeepers belonging to UNMIS, the UN mission in Sudan, said on Monday that the burning and looting was perpetrated "by armed elements" but it was not clear whether they were from the north or the south.

"UNMIS strongly condemns the burning and looting currently being perpetrated by armed elements in Abyei town," the peacekeepers said in a statement.

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Abyei's seizure, coming in the run-up to international recognition of southern independence in July, has been condemned by world powers as a threat to peace between north and south.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/05/2011523142354899756.html

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Profile: Abyei
Oil-rich region claimed by South Sudan and the Sudanese government is potential flashpoint for violence.
Last Modified: May 22 2011 20:00



The disputed region of Abyei straddles the ill-defined border between southern and northern Sudan and boasts of two oilfields - Heglig and Bamboo.

It is claimed by both the governments in Khartoum and South Sudan, which held a referendum on independence in January and is due to become a sovereign state in July.

There have previously been clashes between the two sides over Abyei and two years ago much of the capital, which is also called Abyei, was burned to the ground in fighting between militias from the north and the south.

A referendum for the region to decide whether its people should belong to the south or north was to be held at the same time a broader referendum for the secession of South Sudan was held, but it was indefinitely postponed after the two sides failed to agree on how it should be conducted.

More: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/05/201152218472140654.html