The co-chair of the Abyei oversight committee says that threats made by Khartoum will not stop the people of Abyei from holding the referendum in October.

The Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti has warned the US government against involvement in issues concerning Abyei, accusing it of trying to “open the gates of hell”, according to a report in the Citizen newspaper.

Edward Lino has told Eye Radio that Khartoum’s warnings to the new envoy, Donald Booth that he is not welcome, does not help the peace process.

“Khartoum government for long time has been trying to tell the Americans that they are the power, they have the power and they can do anything they want to do,” he said. “Al Karti is trying to tell the American envoy in particular, to let him understand that they are the power, and if even the American can do it they can do it that way.”

Mr. Lino cautioned against believing that the Abyei issue will take South Sudan and Sudan back to war and said that “the Abyei problem is not a time bomb. It’s Khartoum that wants it to be a time bomb, and they are always fond of having bomb and planning bombs, firing bombs and all those things,” he said.  “The issue is not difficult, it is very easy, but it is the mind of a man who is not easy minded that kept it very difficult things. I want to say people are going to do it whether there is a side of it that don’t want it. People want to be free, is it bad to be free?”

The co-chair of the Abyei oversight committee said the people of Abyei should not be intimidated by the Khartoum government.

The United Nations Interim Force in Abyei will protect the Abyei area during the referendum exercise, he said.