South Sudan VP confirms: There’s no legitimate government in Sudan

South Sudan’s Vice President, Taban Deng Gai has confirmed the illegitimacy of the Sudanese Military government during a statement he made at an annual meeting of State governors in the South Sudanese capital, Juba.

The Vice-President’s comments, which touched on the status of the disputed Abyei region, raised questions in regards to South Sudan’s official position on the political turmoil sweeping its northern neighbor. “There is no government in Khartoum, there is a vacuum,” the VP added.

Taban called on his government to “Pressure until we reach a full settlement” on the Abyei issue, which has been a subject of dispute between the two countries since South Sudan’s secession in (2011). He noted that the matter has now become more urgent, due to the deteriorating economic and humanitarian conditions in the area.

“We are facing a very significant problem in Abyei. The vacuum is becoming abundantly clear, and the people of South Sudan must realize this,” he said. “The Ngok people – the Dinka – are South Sudanese. We cannot allow their suffering to continue in such a manner. As there is no government in Khartoum currently, and they were left to their own devices ”

Taban is from Unity State, which borders Abyei, but belongs to a different tribe. The area sometimes witnesses clashes between the Ngok Dinka and the Arab Messiria.