Pretoria - The South African government has called on the international community to respect the sovereignty of Syria and let them decide their future without any interference.
South Africa -- which has been calling for the immediate end to all forms of violence and for parties without any pre-condition to enter into dialogue that would assist them to draw-up a new constitution and have elections -- has denounced the recent attack on Syria by the Israeli security forces.
“Cabinet calls on the United Nations to prevail on external forces to respect the sovereignty of Syria and to allow Syrians to work together in resolving their disputes,” acting Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams said after Cabinet’s regular fortnightly meeting.
The call comes after the new resolution adopted on Wednesday by the UN General Assembly condemned the Syrian government, but backed the role of a Syrian opposition coalition in transition talks.
The new resolution, which is not legally binding, received 107 votes in favour, 12 against and 59 abstentions, a drop in support in comparison with a resolution passed in August last year, with 133 votes in favour, 12 against and 31 abstentions.
China and Russia were among the 12 countries to vote against the draft resolution, while 59 nations, including South Africa, Brazil and India abstained.
Some countries say the resolution was aimed at a regime change in Syria. They believe that the resolution will not help the situation.
Wednesday’s resolution is the fifth resolution on the situation in Syria voted for by the 193-member body since 2011, when fighting broke out between the government and opposition forces seeking to oust President Bashar Al-Assad.
Abyei attack
With regards to the Sudan and South Sudan, Cabinet condemned the attack on a United Nations convoy in Abyei, Sudan, which resulted in the deaths of a tribal chief and an Ethiopian peacekeeper.
“This regrettable incident threatens the stability of Abyei as well as the progress recently achieved by Sudan and South Sudan,” said Williams.
The top tribal chief of the Ngok Dinka, Paramount Chief DengKuol Deng and a UNISFA peacekeeper were killed recently in clashes involving rival tribes in Abyei, which straddles the border between Sudan and South Sudan and is claimed by both countries.
In March, Sudan and South Sudan agreed to resume cross-border oil flows and defuse tensions which have plagued them since South Sudan's independence from Sudan in 2011.
But the two countries have not yet reached an agreement so far on the ownership of the oil-rich Abyei, which is reportedly inhabited by the Dinka tribe allied to South Sudan and the Misseriya, an Arab tribe following Sudan.
The final status of Abyei is one of the outstanding issues of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which helped bring an end to the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan, before the latter's independence in July 2011. - SAnews.gov.za-Xinhua
