TodaysNetworkNews: ABYEI SUDAN: HOPES FOR STABILITY: UNMIS

TodaysNetworkNews: 23 July 2009 - UNMIS - On Tuesday, a day ahead of a-long-awaited decision expected to settle a dispute over the boundaries of the oil rich area of Abyei, some 500 children of Sudan's Abyei Basic School for girls calmly sang the country's national anthem, with hopes for stability in the area. On Tuesday (21 July), a day before the long-awaited decision was expected to settle a dispute over the boundaries of the oil rich area of Abyei, some 500 children of Sudans Abyei Basic School for girls calmly sang the countrys national anthem, with hopes for stability in the area. Schools in the Abyei area had been disrupted following fighting between the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) and Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) last May. Anyang Wor Deng, a student at the school, said there is no fear. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Anyang Wor Deng, Student at Abyei Basic School for Girls: Thank God we are not affected. We have water we have food, we thank God for that. We are stable. There is no fear. When you are afraid bad things can happen to you, but when you thank God, nothing bad can hurt you. We are stable in Abyei and there is no danger. Mary Nyankirr Chol, who has been teaching for 23 years believes that if the security situation is okay, then things should be fine. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mary Nyankirr Chol, Head Teacher at Abyei Basic School for Girls: It will be normal, it will be normal indeed. Why? Because we are not part of the demarcation process. We hear decisions in fact there are people responsible for us, so if the security situation is okay, we will continue without any problem, there is no problem. Over 50,000 people were displaced in fighting that emptied the town and left schools and other amenities in the area destroyed. But whilst a temporary administration was established to help see development and an eventual return of the displaced in Abyei, financial and logistical resources are needed to complete the task. Mai Al Shariffs teas are popular. She spends her days ceremoniously brewing scented teas at her roadside café. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mai Al Shariff, Tea Seller, Abyei Market: For an educated person, problems are not good. Children were displaced; people are living a difficult life. All this is because of ignorance. The stage of ignorance is in the past, which millennium are we in for people to fight and struggle against one another? Abyei which lies at the centre of an oil-rich area has remained disputed over the years, even after the signing in 2005 of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which brought peace between the country's north and south. The CPA ended a two-decade war between the government of Sudan and Sudan Peoples Liberation Army stipulated the formation of a boundary Commission, The Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC) to define and demarcate the disputed border area. TodaysNetworkNews is a Global News Network. See, http://www.TodaysNetworkNews.com