This dyad belongs to the conflict Sudan: Abyei
Summary of conflict Sudan: Abyei
Located between northern and southern Sudan, Abyei’s importance derives from its use by different pastoralist groups, as well as its oil resources. Both Sudan and southern Sudan have laid claim to the area. In May 2011 the area was invaded by Sudan, and fighting broke out. As South Sudan gained independence on 9 July 2011 the Abyei area remained contested, but as a new country was created the intrastate conflict was terminated as of that day.
The importance of the Abyei area
Abyei is a highly contested area located in the borderland between Sudan and (present day) South Sudan. The sensitivity of the area is highlighted by it sometimes being nicknamed “Sudan’s Kashmir”.
Some of the tension has resulted from pastoralists form the Misseriya community (who live in northern Sudan during most of the year) travelling southwards to Abyei in order to water their cattle. This has sometimes caused problems with the Ngok Dinka pastoralists who inhabit Abyei all year round.
Moreover, Abyei is an oil-rich area, which meant the possibility of large financial revenues to the one controlling it.
The Abyei Protocol
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ultimately leading to South Sudan’s independence in 2011 (see Sudan: government), was signed in January 2005. However, prior to this, on 26 May 2004, the Government of Sudan and SPLM/A (Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army) signed "The Protocol Between the GOS and SPLM on the Resolution of Conflict in Abyei Area". This agreement became incorporated into the CPA.
The Abyei Protocol gave the area a special status during an interim period. During this time residents of Abyei would be citizens of both Western Kordofan (Sudan) and Bahr el Ghazal (present day South Sudan and be represented in the legislature of both.
Oil revenues would be divided such that 50% would go to the national government, 42% to the Government of southern Sudan, 2% each to Bahr Bahr el Ghazal and Western Kordofan, and 2 % each to the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya people.
Finally, the Protocol stipulated a referendum following the interim period, where the residents of Abyei would decide whether the area should keep its special status in the north or else be part of Bahr el Ghazal.
This referendum was to be held at the same time as the referendum on southern Sudan’s status (9 January 2011); the Abyei-residents would simply cast a separate ballot.
The May 2008 violence
The Abyei-area had a high presence of both northern and southern troops. This had led to frequent skirmishes. However, in May 2008 clashes erupted on a significantly higher scale. Escalated by the killing of a Sudanese soldier, the fighting had in the end killed between 89 and 200 people. Despite the brunt of the fighting taking place in a single day, Abyei town was destroyed and about 60 000 people were displaced, in addition to the direct deaths.
This fighting has not been coded as a state-based conflict. This has to do with the fact that the UCDP requires a statement of incompatibility (see definitions). In this case, the fighting was the result of tension in the area, rather than an outspoken attempt to militarily seize control over it. On the contrary, the two fighting parties declared their wish to solve the Abyei-issue through negotiations and the upcoming referendum. (This was a marked difference from the situation occurring in 2011. (See below.))
No Abyei referendum
On 9 January 2011 an overwhelming majority of the population of southern Sudan voted for independence of the area, as per the stipulations in the CPA (Comprehensive Peace Agreement). However, the Abyei Protocol, which was part of the CPA and stipulated a separate, parallel referendum on Abyei, (see “The Abyei Protocol” above) was not honored.
One reason for the failure to hold the Abyei-referendum was that the signatories of the Protocol could not agree on who was a resident of Abyei, and thereby eligible to vote. Khartoum argued that the Misseriya community should be eligible as they lived in the area during part of the year, while the Juba-regime argued that only permanent residents should be allowed to participate.
Statement of incompatibility
The cancelled referendum raised the tension in Abyei, and as southern independence scheduled for July 2011 approached, the issue became yet more politicized. But, however long contested by both parties none of them stated an intention to use force to seize Abyei and incorporate it into their own territorial domain.
This changed on 27 April 2011, as an interim constitution for the (soon to be) Republic of South Sudan was released which included Abyei. Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir then stated that: “Abyei is part of north Sudan and will remain of the north. We do not say this just here. We say it in many forums and occasions". This statement was followed by threats to wage war against the Republic of South Sudan if they attempted to annex Abyei.
The May 2011 violence
On 1 May 2011, a heavily armed Sudanese army convoy entered Abyei in a clear breach of the CPA (Comprehensive Peace Agreement). This sparked heavy fighting against southern police placed in the region. This was followed by fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces together with government militias against Sudans People Liberation Army (SPLA) and Southern Sudan Police Service.
On 19 May Sudan seized control over Abyei. This again provoked heavy fighting with police and southern Sudanese military.
The May-fighting was estimated to have killed over 100 people and displaced at least 60 000.
Negotiations and UNISFA
The African Union was involved in negotiations pertaining to Abyei in 2011 through the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel for Sudan. This panel was led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki and negotiations under his chairmanship led to an agreement in which it was decided that a peace-keeping mission should be sent to Abyei, that Khartoums troops should withdraw from the area, and that the region should become a non-militarized zone. However, this was never implemented and at the end of 2011 the Sudanese Armed Forces were still in control of the area.
The peace-keeping force that followed from the June agreement is called the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). UNISFA is a peacekeeping force with a mandate to protect civilians under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. On 14 December 2011 its mandate was expanded to include additional tasks related to the demilitarization of Abyei. UNISFA mainly consists of Ethiopian peace-keepers and its mandated strength is 4 200. As of 30 November 2011, 2 853 uniformed personnel were deployed to Abyei.
Status of Abyei following southern independence
On 9 July 2011 South Sudan gained its independence but the status of Abyei remained unclear: South Sudan did incorporate the territory into its constitution, but Khartoum argued it belonged to Sudan.
In addition to the state-based conflict in Abyei there was a parallel and heavily interlinked ongoing non-state conflict between the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya in 2011. (For more information see Misseriya - Ngok Dinka non-state conflict.)
As South Sudan became an independent state the intrastate Sudanese conflict over Abyei was ended by definition. Instead the area is one of the most contested ones in the interstate conflict between Sudan and South Sudan.
