Abyie Border Demarcation: Implications and Possible Outcomes

The report details a seminar featuring leaders from the Dinka Ngok and Missiriya groups to discuss the conflict over the Abyie boundary. Key points of contention include differing historical border claims (1905 vs 1956), the perceived unfairness of the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling, and the complicating influence of oil fields and political agendas of the National Congress Party and the Sudan People Liberation Movement. Despite current tensions and fears of a 'showdown', participants agreed that traditional conflict management mechanisms could be used to resolve the dispute.

• The Dinka Ngok and Missiriya groups hold conflicting views on the legitimate historical border of 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 viewed as unfair by both groups; the Missiriya specifically describe the ruling as a 'death sentence' because it threatens their access to water sources.
• The presence of oil fields in Abyie has intensified the conflict by introducing the interests of the National Congress Party and the Sudan People Liberation Movement, whose agendas may overlook the needs of the local populations.
• While the Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended the second civil war in Sudan, it paradoxically coincided with the start of increased insecurity and conflict within Abyie.
• Leaders from both conflicting groups believe they possess the capacity to resolve 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} }