UN confirms Sudan pullout from disputed Abyei region

DHAKA : Sudan has pulled its troops out of the disputed border region of Abyei, according to the UN.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Abyei confirmed the withdrawal took place late on Tuesday evening.

The pullout comes as negotiators from Sudan and South Sudan meet in Ethiopia to begin talks over several disputes.

Abyei is claimed by both Sudan and the South, which became independent in 2011 after a long civil war. Sudan`s forces seized Abyei last May.

Tens of thousands of civilians were displaced when the Sudanese army took control of the region in three days of clashes with South Sudanese troops.

Its status was left undecided in the 2005 peace deal between the two sides, and a referendum on the issue has been postponed indefinitely.

Sudanese officials had said the pullout was designed to aid the progress of the peace talks.

BDST: 1242 HRS, May 30, 2012
Edited by: Tilka Binte Mehtab, Newsroom Editor