ABSTRACT
Abyei was once described as the thread that holds the north and south of Sudan together, but it is now a disputed area in limbo between what has recently become two independent countries.1 The unresolved status of Abyei and the recurrent violence have their background in decades of violence.2 To the Ngok Dinka – who are permanently settled in the area – and to the Misseriya, the neighbouring people to the north, this is foremost a conflict over ownership of land and access to seasonal grazing. However, long-lasting hostilities have deepened the enmity and generated new grievances. Violence in Abyei was an integral part of the two civil wars which preceded South Sudan’s secession. Not only is Abyei strategically and symbolically important to leaders in Khartoum and Juba, but the Ngok and the Misseriya can mobilize formidable fighting forces and they continue to be core constituencies to the ruling parties in South Sudan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), and Sudan, the National Congress Party, respectively. The significance of the Abyei area is reflected in the fact that one of the six protocols of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the Government of Sudan and SPLM deals solely with this conflict. This adds another layer of complexity to the local conflict and makes it more intractable.
