Abyei Final Status: A Mismanaged and Unyielding Stalemate
Organization: The Sudd Institute
Type: Weekly Reviews
Date: 29/10/2013
Publication Summary
As the month of October draws to a close, the future of the final status of the disputed region of Abyei remains disappointingly uncertain and extremely unpredictable. The unyielding stalemate between South Sudan and Sudan is a remarkable test that challenges not only the leadership and credibility of the African Union, a body that is tasked to facilitate the resolution of the conflict through mediation, but equally that of the Government of South Sudan. It should be recalled that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005 signed between South Sudan’s ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the National Congress Party (NCP) led government of Sudan, gave the people of Abyei the right to self-determination. According to the CPA, the Abyei referendum was slated to take place concurrently with that of Southern Sudan in January 2011. However, this did not happen because of disagreement between the peace partners over who should be eligible to vote in such an exercise. Besides the stalemate over Abyei and with the deal on oil flow being the exception, the two sides are practically embroiled in a deadlock on a myriad of post-independence issues.