Abyie Border Demarcation: Implications and Possible Outcomes

This seminar report details a discussion held in Addis Ababa on December 4, 2009, regarding the border demarcation of Abyie. The event featured leaders from the Dinka Ngok and Missiriya groups to examine the historical roots of their dispute, the implications of the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling, and potential paths toward conflict resolution.

• The Dinka Ngok and Missiriya groups hold conflicting views on the legitimate border for Abyie, with the Dinka Ngok advocating for the 1905 border and the Missiriya advocating for the 1956 border.
• The ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague is contested by both parties. The Missiriya specifically view the ruling as a "death sentence" because they believe it compromises their livelihoods and access to water sources, despite the ruling granting them grazing routes.
• The presence of oil fields in Abyie has complicated the demarcation dispute by introducing the National Congress Party and the Sudan People Liberation Movement, who are described as having their own agendas that may ignore the interests of local populations.
• While the Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended a 22-year civil war in Sudan, it paradoxically coincided with the start of intense insecurity and conflict in Abyie. The Dinka Ngok perceive the Missiriya as being supported by the National Congress Party, while the Missiriya believe the Dinka Ngok are supported by the Sudan People Liberation Movement.
• Participants in the seminar agreed that the Dinka Ngok and Missiriya are capable of resolving their disputes using traditional conflict management mechanisms that have been successful in the past.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2009). Abyie Border Demarcation: Implications and Possible Outcomes. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ABYIESEMREPDEC09.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Abyie Border Demarcation: Implications and Possible Outcomes. 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ABYIESEMREPDEC09.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Abyie Border Demarcation: Implications and Possible Outcomes |date=4 December 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ABYIESEMREPDEC09.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2009abyie, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Abyie Border Demarcation: Implications and Possible Outcomes}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ABYIESEMREPDEC09.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }