By Xinhua,
Cairo : The head of the interim Arab Parliament Jasim al-Sagr on Sunday welcomed the Sudanese agreement on the disputed oil-rich enclave of Abyei, claimed by both northern and southern Sudan.
In a statement circulated at the Cairo-based Arab League, Sagr described the deal signed last week as a step forward to implement Sudan’s comprehensive peace accord, the Egyptian official MENA news agency reported.
Sagr voiced his support to the deal, which was signed between the ruling Sudanese National Congress Party and the former Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, to settle the dispute in Abyei and renew commitment to restoring security and stability in Sudan, said the report.
On Sunday, Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir, from the north, signed the agreement with former rebel leader and First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit, agreeing to refer the matter to international arbitration and set up a new interim administration for the troubled border region.
Abyei, located on the borders between northern and southern Sudan, remained a main obstacle for the two peace partners in implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement they signed in 2005to end a 21-year civil war.