Abyei

{{Politics of Sudan}}

{{Politics of South Sudan}}

The Sudan Tribune claims that the Dajo people were located in the region of Abyei prior to the seventeenth century, before being displaced by new migrants.{{cite web |title=Abyei Issue from a neutral perspective |url=http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?page=imprimable&id_article=24898 |publisher=Sudan Tribune |date=25 November 2007 |access-date=23 July 2009 |archive-date=26 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726155308/http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?page=imprimable&id_article=24898 |url-status=dead }} From at least the eighteenth century Abyei was inhabited by the agro-pastoralist Ngok Dinka, a sub-group of the Dinka of Southern Sudan. The Messiria, a nomadic Arab people, who spend most of the year around their base at Muglad in northern South Kurdufan, would graze their cattle south to the Bahr river basin in Abyei during the dry season.[http://www.usip.org/resources/resolving-boundary-dispute-sudans-abyei-region “Resolving the Boundary Dispute in Sudan’s Abyei Region”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715202251/http://www.usip.org/resources/resolving-boundary-dispute-sudans-abyei-region |date=15 July 2009 }} by Dorina Bekoe, Kelly Campbell and Nicholas Howenstein,

United States Institute of Peace, October 2005{{cite web |url= http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/africa/horn-of-africa/sudan/B047%20Sudan%20Breaking%20the%20Abyei%20Deadlock.ashx |title= Sudan: Breaking the Abyei Deadlock |access-date= 30 May 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110209055834/http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/africa/horn-of-africa/sudan/B047%20Sudan%20Breaking%20the%20Abyei%20Deadlock.ashx |archive-date= 9 February 2011 |url-status= dead |df= dmy-all }} {{small|(456 KB)}}, International Crisis Group, 12 October 2007, p. 2{{cite web|title=GOS-SPLM/A Final Award |url=http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/Abyei%20Final%20Award.pdf |publisher=Permanent Court of Arbitration |date=22 July 2009 |access-date=22 July 2009 |pages=36–37 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806194003/http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/Abyei%20Final%20Award.pdf |archive-date=6 August 2009 }} Abyei's permanent residents were thus the southern Dinka, but half the year the Dinka were outnumbered by the Muslim, northern Misseriya."Collapse of a Country: A Diplomat's Memoir of South Sudan." By Nicholas Coghlan. McGill-Queen's University Press, 2017. At the establishment of the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium, the Messiria were predominantly located in the province of Kordofan (considered "northern"), while the Ngok Dinka were located in Bahr el Ghazal (considered "southern"). In 1905, after continued raids by the Messiria into Ngok Dinka territory, the British redistricted the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms into Kordofan. The reason was threefold: to protect the Ngok Dinka from raids by the Messiria and thus pacify the area; to demonstrate that a new sovereign power was in control; and to bring the two feuding tribes under common administration.[http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/Abyei%20Final%20Award.pdf Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague "On Delimiting Abyei"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806194003/http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/Abyei%20Final%20Award.pdf |date=6 August 2009 }} 22 July 2009 / p221-222 When the British left in 1956, they left the status of Abyei unclear.

The two peoples began to take separate paths with the onset of the First Sudanese Civil War (1956–1972), in particular the 1965 massacre of 72 Ngok Dinka in the Misseriya town of Babanusa. The Ngok Dinka were thus drawn to the Anyanya, while the Messiria were favored by the Khartoum-based government and became firmly associated with the north. The 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement that ended the war included a clause that provided for a referendum allowing Abyei to choose to remain in the north or join the autonomous South. This referendum was never held and continued attacks against Ngok Dinka led to the creation of Ngok Dinka unit in the small Anyanya II rebellion, which began in Upper Nile in 1975. The discovery of oil in the area, among other north–south border regions, led President Gaafar Nimeiry to try the first of many initiatives to redistrict oil rich areas into northern administration.

The Ngok Dinka unit of Anyanya II formed one of the foundations of the rebel movement at the beginning of the Second Civil War in 1983. Many Ngok Dinka joined the rebels upon the outbreak of hostilities. Partially as a result of their early entry into the war, many Ngok Dinka rose to leadership positions in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), becoming closely associated with John Garang. In contrast, the Messiria joined the hostilities on the side of the government in the mid-1980s. They formed frontline units as well as Murahleen, mounted raiders that attacked southern villages to loot valuables and slaves."Sudan: Breaking the Abyei Deadlock", pp. 2–3 By the end of the war the intense fighting had displaced most Ngok Dinka out of Abyei, which the Misseriya state as justification for ownership of the area.

The status of Abyei was one of the most contentious issues in the negotiation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The first protocol signed, the 2002 Machakos Protocol, defined Southern Sudan as the area as of independence in 1956. It thus excluded the SPLA strongholds in Abyei, the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile, known collectively during the talks as the Three Areas. The SPLA negotiators then spent several years attempting to give these regions the right to a referendum in which they could decide if they want to be under the administrative control of the north or south. This would potentially mean that these regions would become part of a nation of South Sudan after the 2011 independence referendum. The government blocked these attempts, stating that the Machakos Protocol had already delineated the border for the Three Areas in favor of the north."Sudan: Breaking the Abyei Deadlock", p. 3

The deadlock was finally broken by pressure from the United States. U.S. presidential envoy John Danforth circulated a draft agreement, which the U.S. convinced the government to sign despite its inclusion of a referendum. The Protocol on the resolution of the Abyei conflict put Abyei into a special administrative status government directly by the presidency. The precise borders of the area were to be determined by an Abyei Borders Commission (ABC), followed by a referendum commission to identify Messiria that are resident in Abyei and could thus vote in local elections in 2009; all the Ngok Dinka were to be considered resident, it being their traditional homeland.

According to an annex to the protocol adopted in December 2004, the Abyei Borders Commission was to be composed of 15 persons: five appointed by the government, five by the SPLA and three by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and one each by the United States and the United Kingdom. Only the five impartial experts could present the final report. The five appointed were: Godfrey Muriuki of the University of Nairobi; Kassahun Berhanu of the Addis Ababa University; Douglas H. Johnson, an author of several works on southern Sudan; Shadrack Gutto, a lawyer from South Africa; and Donald Petterson, a former ambassador to Sudan. The ABC determined the boundary at approximately 10°22′30″N., 87 km (54 mi) north of the town of Abyei, following the agreed rules of procedure.[http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article25125 “The Abyei Protocol Demystified”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211131848/http://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article25125 |date=11 February 2010 }}, Sudan Tribune,11 December 2007 The process and the map showing the boundary is detailed by Johnson.

The ABC presented their report to the president on 14 July 2005, whereupon it was immediately rejected by the government, who accused the experts of using sources after 1905 in their determination of the boundaries. The death of John Garang later that month pushed all other issues off the national agenda, but the SPLA maintains that the terms of the Abyei protocol must be held to."Sudan: Breaking the Abyei Deadlock", p. 4 Government resistance to an agreement is largely based on an attempt to hold on to the oil reserves and oil pipelines in the area."Sudan: Breaking the Abyei Deadlock", p. 9

In October 2007, rising tensions between the SPLA and government resulted in the SPLA temporarily withdrawing from the Government of National Unity over several deadlocked issues, notably Abyei.[http://irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=74849 “SUDAN: Southern leaders in talks to salvage unity government”], IRIN, 18 October 2007 At the time, the International Crisis Group stated, "What happens in Abyei is likely to determine whether Sudan consolidates the peace or returns to war"."Sudan: Breaking the Abyei Deadlock", p. 11 Armed violence erupted in the Abyei region during late 2007 and throughout 2008. Clashes occurred both between the SPLA and Messiria fighters and between the SPLA and government troops.

Messiria leaders had objected to demarcation provisions of the CPA which they claim have a negative impact upon Messiria access to grazing lands. These grievances fed into armed clashes in December 2007, which killed at least 75 people, and further violence in February and March 2008, resulting in numerous deaths and civilian displacement. These clashes were considered by analysts to represent a serious threat to the peace process and trigger a resumption of civil war.Wheeler, S. 2008, [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-north-south/armed-sudanese-nomads-block-key-north-south-route-idUSL1283160020080212 ‘Armed Sudanese nomads block key north-south route’], Reuters Africa, 12 February. Retrieved 11 March 2008.IRIN 2008, [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=77072 ‘SUDAN: War of words after scores killed in Abyei’], IRIN, 3 March. Retrieved 4 March 2008.BBC 2008, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7273838.stm ‘Arab nomads dead in Sudan clashes’], BBC News, 2 March. Retrieved 4 March 2008.Shahine, A. 2008, [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L02440386.htm ‘Sudan nomads clash with ex-rebels, dozens killed’], Reuters AlertNet, 2 March. Retrieved 4 March 2008.Sudan Tribune 2008, [http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article26451 ‘Fresh fighting breaks out in Sudan north-south region’], Sudan Tribune, 22 March. Retrieved 22 March 2008.IRIN 2008, [http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=77419 ‘SUDAN: Rising tension in Abyei as clashes displace hundreds’], IRIN, 24 March. Retrieved 25 March 2008. The Messiria were not believed to be directly controlled by Khartoum, however analysts pointed out that local disputes over resources are readily manipulated by outside forces.Kilner, D. 2008, [http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-03-10-voa49.cfm ‘Clashes on Sudan’s North-South border threaten peace deal’] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315003004/http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-03-10-voa49.cfm |date=15 March 2008 }}, Voice of America, 10 March. Retrieved 10 March 2008.

Following the violence of February and March, the Sudanese government deployed a contingent of 200 or more soldiers to Abyei town on 31 March 2008.Wheeler, S. 2008, [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L02441824.htm ‘Northern troops enter disputed Sudan oil town’], Reuters AlertNet, 2 April. Retrieved 4 April 2008. Armed clashes between these troops and the SPLA occurred during May 2008 resulting in dozens of deaths and the displacement of an estimated 25,000 civilians.Al Jazeera 2008, [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FA7E802D-FE20-47B1-93A9-928994EA9DC5.htm ‘Many dead in Sudan clashes’], Al Jazeera English, 16 May. Retrieved 17 May 2008.IRIN 2008, [http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=78258 ‘SUDAN: Abyei town deserted after fresh clashes’], IRIN, 16 May. Retrieved 17 May 2008.BBC 2008, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7409967.stm ‘Fighting in disputed Sudan town’], BBC News, 20 May. Retrieved 20 May 2008.BBC 2008, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7418582.stm ‘Tensions flare in central Sudan’], BBC News, 24 May. Retrieved 26 May 2008. Much of Abyei town was razed; publicist Roger Winter stated that "the town of Abyei has ceased to exist".Winter, R. 2008, [http://www.enoughproject.org/publications/abyei-aflame-update-field-0 ‘Abyei Aflame: An update from the field’], enough: the project to end genocide and crimes against humanity, 30 May. Retrieved 3 August 2008.

{{Infobox court case

| name = Abyei Arbitration

| court = Permanent Court of Arbitration

| image = Logo of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague.png

| imagesize = 150px

| imagelink =

| imagealt =

| caption =

| full name = The Government of Sudan v. The People's Liberation Movement/Army (Abyei Arbitration)

| date decided = 22 July 2009

| citations =

| transcripts =

| judges = Professor Pierre-Marie Dupuy, president
H.E. Judge Awn Al-Khasawneh
Professor Dr. Gerhard Hafner
Professor W. Michael Reisman
Judge Stephen M. Schwebel

| number of judges = 5

| decision by = Unanimous panel

| prior actions =

| appealed from =

| appealed to =

| subsequent actions =

| related actions =

| opinions =

| keywords =

| italic title = no

}}

Following the clashes in Abyei during May 2008, in June 2008 the Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir, and the President of the autonomous Government of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, agreed to refer the disputes between the Government and the SPLM/A concerning the ABC's determination of the Abyei area's boundaries to international arbitration at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), in The Hague.Arbitration Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army on Delimiting Abyei Area, 7 July 2008, http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/Abyei%20Arbitration%20Agreement.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727170044/http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/Abyei%20Arbitration%20Agreement.pdf |date=27 July 2011 }}

File:Sudan Envoy - Lining up.jpg in Abyei, 2009]]

The arbitration was presided over by an arbitral tribunal composed of five international lawyers – Professor Pierre-Marie Dupuy, of France, as President, with Judge Stephen M. Schwebel, Professor W. Michael Reisman, H.E. Judge Awn Al-Khasawneh and Professor Dr. Gerhard Hafner. The tribunal adopted the PCA's Optional Rules for Arbitrating Disputes Between Two Parties of Which Only One is a State.{{cite web |url=http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/1STATENG.pdf |title=J:\Office Managers\Basic Documents English\2d ed\Revised\1STATENG.wpd |access-date=6 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017035739/http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/1STATENG.pdf |archive-date=17 October 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

The SPLM/A appointed Dr. Riek Machar Teny, Deputy Chairman of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and Minister Luka Biong Deng, as Agents, and Gary Born, Paul Williams and Wendy Miles as counsel. The Government of Sudan appointed Ambassador Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed as Agent, and were represented by Professor James Crawford QC, S.C., Dr Nabil Elaraby, Professor Alain Pellet, Rodman Bundy and Loretta Malintoppi.

File:Messiria elder speaks to Abyei arbitration decision.jpg elder in Abyei speaks to the PCA decision, November 2009]]

Following extensive written pleadings,{{cite web|url=http://www.pca-cpa.org/showpage.asp?pag_id=1306 |title=Abyei Arbitration |publisher=Pca-cpa.org |access-date=6 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120214016/http://www.pca-cpa.org/showpage.asp?pag_id=1306 |archive-date=20 November 2011 }} in April 2009 the parties presented their closing submissions to the arbitration tribunal over six days at an oral hearing at the Peace Palace, The Hague. In a groundbreaking initiative, the parties agreed to broadcast the oral hearing over the internet, which allowed those in Sudan and around the world to see the parties put forward their arguments.The broadcasts of the Abyei Arbitration hearing are available on the PCA’s website: {{cite web|url=http://www.pca-cpa.org/showpage.asp?pag_id=1306 |title=Abyei Arbitration |access-date=22 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120214016/http://www.pca-cpa.org/showpage.asp?pag_id=1306 |archive-date=20 November 2011 }} Following the hearing the arbitral tribunal then began its deliberations and, less than ninety days later, on 22 July 2009 rendered its final binding decision as to the validity of the boundaries for Abyei and the ABC had drawn.Final Award, 22 July 2009, {{cite web|url=http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/Abyei%20Final%20Award.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=22 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806194003/http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/Abyei%20Final%20Award.pdf |archive-date=6 August 2009 }}. The Award was accompanied by a map of the Abyei area as determined by the arbitration tribunal: {{cite web|url=http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/Abyei%20Final%20Award.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=22 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806194003/http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/Abyei%20Final%20Award.pdf |archive-date=6 August 2009 }}

The award ordered the redrawing of the northern, eastern and western boundaries, thus decreasing the size of Abyei. The size of Abyei is crucial to the political dispute, as its residents will be able to vote in a referendum on whether to become part of northern or southern Sudan.{{cite news|title=New borders for Sudan oil region | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8162690.stm |work=BBC News | date=22 July 2009| access-date=22 July 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090722100948/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8162690.stm| archive-date= 22 July 2009 | url-status= live}} The redrawn borders give control of the richest oil fields in the Abyei region, such as the Heglig oil field, to the north, while giving at least one oil field to the south. Most of the Messiria are outside of the redrawn borders, making it far more likely that the region will vote to join the south. Announcements by both the SPLM and Government of Sudan that they would accept the ruling were hailed by the United States, European Union, and the United Nations.{{cite news|title=Court Redraws Disputed Area in Sudan |last=Otterman |first=Sharon |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/world/africa/23sudan.html?hp |work=The New York Times |date=22 July 2009 |access-date=23 July 2009 }}

As of December 2010, the PCA border has not been demarcated and there is still no agreement on who constitutes a "resident of Abyei" for the purposes of voting in the Abyei referendum. The question is whether to include Arab nomads (the Messiria tribe), who have historically stayed in the region every year for six months. If the Misseriya Arabs are prevented from voting, the region will likely go to South Sudan.Hamilton, Rebecca [http://pulitzercenter.org/articles/how-residency-dispute-one-key-town-could-lead-sudan-back-war "How a Residency Dispute in One Key Town Could Lead Sudan Back to War"], Christian Science Monitor, 3 November 2010, via Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. While the Dinka Ngok and Messiria tribe maintained a peaceful coexistence during the civil war, the division of Sudan has created mistrust between the two people.{{cite news|title=Tribal trouble in Sudan|author=Al Jazeera|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/video/africa/2011/01/2011157531624666.html|newspaper=ALJAZEERA|date=5 January 2011|access-date=7 January 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110106081859/http://english.aljazeera.net/video/africa/2011/01/2011157531624666.html| archive-date= 6 January 2011 | url-status= live}} In the second week of January 2011, when a referendum was held regarding South Sudanese independence, a simultaneous referendum to determine the fate of Abyei was meant to be held. This referendum was postponed due to the disagreement over voter eligibility.

{{See also|Sudan–SPLM conflict (2011)}}

On 21 May 2011 it was reported that the Armed Forces of Sudan had seized control of Abyei with a force of approximately 5,000 soldiers after three days of clashes with the South. The precipitating factor was an ambush by the South killing 22 northern soldiers. The northern advance included shelling, aerial bombardment and numerous tanks.James Copnall, BBC News, 23 May 2011 Initial reports indicate that over 20,000 people have fled. The South Sudanese government has declared this as an "act of war", and the U.N. has sent an envoy to Khartoum to intervene.{{cite news|title=Sudan: Abyei seizure by North 'act of war', says South|author=BBC World News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13491445|work=BBC|date=22 May 2011|access-date=22 May 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110527020704/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13491445| archive-date= 27 May 2011 | url-status= live}} South Sudan says it has withdrawn its forces from Abyei.{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-abyei-north-idUSTRE74L14L20110522 | date=22 May 2011 |

access-date=25 May 2011 |publisher=Reuters |title=North Sudan seizes disputed Abyei, thousands flee}}

As of May 2011, the prospective referendum on Abyei's future status has been postponed indefinitely.{{cite news|title=Sudan's Abyei dispute: 'Shots fired' at UN helicopters|author=BBC World News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-13549157|work=BBC|date=25 May 2011|access-date=25 May 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110526111950/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-13549157| archive-date= 26 May 2011 | url-status= live}} The northern leader, then President al-Bashir, dismissed the southern chief administrator of Abyei and appointed a northerner, Ahmed Hussein Al-Imam.{{cite web|url=http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudan-appoints-new-chief,39135 |title=Sudan appoints new chief administrator for Abyei area – Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan |publisher=Sudan Tribune |access-date=6 December 2011}}

{{See also|South Kordofan conflict}}

Protests were held in at least two Southern states, Upper Nile and Warrap, over the occupation of Abyei by Northern forces. Labor leader Abraham Sebit, leading the protest in Malakal, Upper Nile, asked for intervention by the United Nations and suggested a no-fly zone could be established over Abyei.{{cite news|url=http://sudancatholicradio.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3981:upper-nile-state-protests-against-abyei-occupation&catid=2:south-sudan&Itemid=84|agency=Sudan Catholic Radio Network|date=27 May 2011|access-date=31 May 2011|title=UPPER NILE STATE PROTESTS AGAINST ABYEI OCCUPATION}} Governor Nyadeng Malek of Warrap also condemned the occupation.{{cite news|url=http://mirayafm.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6035:thousands-in-warrap-state-protests-saf-takeover-of-abyei&catid=85:85&Itemid=278|agency=Miraya FM|date=28 May 2011|access-date=31 May 2011|title=Peaceful protest in Warrup State over takeover of Abyei}}

The air is moderately polluted. Greater than the maximum limit established for one year by WHO. A long-term exposure constitutes a health risk.

A deal on demilitarization was reached on 20 June 2011.{{cite web|author=F_404 |url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90856/7415698.html |title=AU: Agreement on Abyei demilitarization done, more deals in works – People's Daily Online |work=People's Daily |date=21 June 2011 |access-date=6 December 2011}} The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), consisting of Ethiopian troops commanded by Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede Tesfay, were deployed under a UNSC resolution from 27 June 2011.{{cite web |url=https://undocs.org/S/RES/1990(2011) |title=Resolution 1990 (2011) |publisher=United Nations |access-date=21 March 2017}}{{Cite web|title=UN Interim Security Force for Abyei |date=26 February 2025 |publisher=ReliefWeb |url=https://reliefweb.int/organization/unisfa }} The UNISFA mandate has periodically been extended.{{Cite web|title=Security Council Extends Mandate of United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei for One Year, Adopting Resolution 2760 (2024) |date=14 November 2024 |url=https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15900.doc.htm }}

The peacekeepers began arriving in Abyei on 15 July 2011 after traveling overland from Ethiopia, just under a week after South Sudan formally declared its independence. Both countries continue to claim Abyei, but the presence of UNISFA peacekeepers is intended to prevent the military of either from attempting to wrest control of it.{{cite news|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18476569|agency=San Jose Mercury News|date=14 July 2011|title=Ethiopian peacekeepers to arrive in Abyei Friday|access-date=16 July 2011}}{{cite news|url=http://www.africareview.com/News/Ethiopian+troops+arrive+in+Abyei/-/979180/1201882/-/blxyr5z/-/index.html|title=Ethiopian peacekeepers arrive in contested Abyei|agency=Africa Review|first=Argaw|last=Ashine|date=15 July 2011|access-date=16 July 2011|archive-date=19 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719181340/http://www.africareview.com/News/Ethiopian+troops+arrive+in+Abyei/-/979180/1201882/-/blxyr5z/-/index.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://unisfa.unmissions.org/unisfa-condemns-recent-attacks-abyei-0|title=UNISFA condemns recent attacks in Abyei|website=UNmissions.org|date=12 July 2017|access-date=12 February 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://unisfa.unmissions.org/statement-unisfa-recent-spate-attacks-abyei|title=Statement from UNISFA on the recent spate of attacks in Abyei|website=UNmissions.org|date=18 October 2017|access-date=12 February 2018}}

Nonetheless, in 2024 one of the UN peacekeepers was killed when their base in Agok was attacked.{{Cite news|title=A Dozens killed as violence flares in region disputed by Sudan, South Sudan |date=29 January 2024 |newspaper=al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/29/52-people-killed-in-attack-in-disputed-region-between-sudan-and-south-sudan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129121211/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/29/52-people-killed-in-attack-in-disputed-region-between-sudan-and-south-sudan |archive-date=29 January 2024 |url-status=live }}

Under the terms of the Abyei Protocol, the residents of the Abyei Area have been declared, on an interim basis, to be simultaneously citizens of the states of West Kurdufan (Republic of Sudan) and Northern Bahr el Ghazal (South Sudan) until such time as a referendum can determine the permanent status of the area. An Abyei Area Administration was established on 31 August 2008.

The Abyei Area Administration is made up of the following bodies:{{cite web|url=http://gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ID/5366/Default.aspx|title=NCP And SPLM Signs Abyei Agreement in Addis Ababa|website=Gurtong.net|date=23 June 2011|access-date=6 December 2011}}{{cite web|url=https://unmis.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/old_dnn/UNMIS/Fact%20Sheets/FS-abyeiprotocol.pdf|title=Abyei Protocol Fact Sheet|website=UNmissions.org|date=24 February 2009|access-date=12 February 2018}}

• An Executive Council led by a Chief Administrator representing the SPLM and a Deputy Chief Administrator representing the Government of Sudan. The remaining members will be shared between the two entities with SPLM nominating three and the GOS nominating two.
• The Abyei Joint Oversight Committee made up of two members representing each party to the agreement.
• The Abyei Area Security Committee composed of the Chief Administrator, Deputy Chief Administrator, an armed forces commander, the local police chief, and a representative of the "security organ".

A United Nations peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, has also been established to protect civilians and humanitarian workers in the Abyei Area.

The administrative name was changed to "Abyei Special Administrative Area" in July 2015 with the administration stating that it won't share the region again with Sudan.{{cite web|url=http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/ArticleView/mid/519/articleId/17103/Abyei-Administration-Area-Changes-Name.aspx|title=Abyei Administration Area Changes Name|website=Gurtong.net|date=29 July 2015|access-date=14 August 2016|archive-date=13 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213022037/http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/ArticleView/mid/519/articleId/17103/Abyei-Administration-Area-Changes-Name.aspx|url-status=dead}}

{{div col|colwidth=9em}}

• Abyei Town
• Agok
• Abathok
• Alal
• Amiet
• Athony
• Akechnial
• Al Malamm
• Awolnhom
• Bargnop
• Dakjur
• Dokura
• Duop
• Dungob
• Fyok
• Langar
• Lukji
• Mabek Ngol
• Mading Achweng
• Mokwei
• Noong
• Umm Geren
• Makhir Abior
• Lou/Leu
• Kolom
• Tajalei
• Todaj/Todac

{{div col end}}

Abyei is situated within the Muglad Basin, a large rift basin which contains a number of hydrocarbon accumulations. Oil exploration was undertaken in Sudan in the 1970s and 1980s. A period of significant investment in Sudan’s oil industry occurred in the 1990s and Abyei became a target for this investment. By 2003 Abyei contributed more than one quarter of Sudan’s total crude oil output. Production volumes have since declinedHamilton, Rebecca [http://pulitzercenter.org/articles/oil-rich-abyei-sudan-accuracy-label "’Oil-rich’ Abyei: Time to update the shorthand?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114223620/http://pulitzercenter.org/articles/oil-rich-abyei-sudan-accuracy-label |date=14 January 2011 }}, Christian Science Monitor, 3 November 2010, via Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. and reports suggest that Abyei’s reserves are nearing depletion. An important oil pipeline, the Greater Nile Oil Pipeline, travels through the Abyei area from the Heglig and Unity oil fields to Port Sudan on the Red Sea via Khartoum. The pipeline is vital to Sudan’s oil exports which have boomed since the pipeline commenced operation in 1999.APS Review Downstream Trends 2007, [http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/170592332.html ‘SUDAN: The oil sector’], www.entrepreneur.com, 29 October. Retrieved 5 March 2008.USAID 2001, [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/sudan_oil_usaid_2001.pdf ‘Sudan: Oil and gas concession holders’ (map)], University of Texas Library.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• Douglas Johnson, 2008, "Why Abyei Matters, The Breaking Point of Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement?” in African Affairs, 107 (462), pp 1–19.
• Abraham, I. 2007, [http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article20555 ‘South Sudan Abyei now or never’] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071228181848/http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article20555 |date=28 December 2007 }}, Sudan Tribune, 3 March. (Opinion piece.)
• Johnson, D. 2006, [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=228947149821344231 ‘Sudan's civil wars’ (video], filmed March, Bergen, Norway. (Brief discussion of underlying causes of conflict in Sudan.)
• Kristof, N. 2008, [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/opinion/02kristof.html?_r=1&oref=slogin ‘Africa’s next slaughter’], New York Times, 2 March. Retrieved 4 March 2008. (Opinion piece concerning Abyei and the peace process.)
• UNDP 2005, {{cite web |url= http://www.sd.undp.org/Presspdf/Abyei.pdf |title= First Three of Eighteen Ongoing Development Projects Were Handed Over By UNDP to Abyei Communities |access-date= 24 October 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070623113916/http://www.sd.undp.org/Presspdf/Abyei.pdf |archive-date= 23 June 2007 |url-status= dead |df= dmy-all }} {{small|(29.8 KB)}}, United Nations Development Program Sudan, 29 November.
• Vall, M. 2008, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkCs2ydLMw8 ‘Abyei region divided over oil’], Al Jazeera English, 15 March. Retrieved 27 April 2008. (Video presentation hosted by YouTube.)
• Winter, R. 2008, [https://web.archive.org/web/20080513004352/http://enoughproject.org/reports/soundingalarmabyei ‘Sounding the alarm on Abyei’], enough: the project to end genocide and crimes against humanity, 17 April. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
• Winter, R. 2008, [https://web.archive.org/web/20080605032835/http://www.enoughproject.org/reports/abyei_update_may08 ‘Abyei aflame: An update from the field’], enough: the project to end genocide and crimes against humanity, 30 May. Retrieved 6 June 2008 (Describes May 2008 violence. Winter says that "the town of Abyei has ceased to exist".).

{{Commons category}}

• [https://abyei.gov.ss/ Abyei Area Administration]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090721003636/http://abyei.info/ The Abyei Committee]

{{South Sudan political divisions}}

{{States of Sudan}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|9.595|28.436|type:city|display=title}}

Category:Subdivisions of Sudan

Category:Subdivisions of South Sudan

Category:Second Sudanese Civil War

Category:South Kordofan

Category:Bahr el Ghazal

Category:Territorial disputes of South Sudan

Category:Territorial disputes of Sudan

Category:South Sudan–Sudan relations

Category:Condominia (international law)