UNISFA tanks patrol in Abyei Administrative Area. (-)

Civil society activist Edmond Yakani has called on the governments of South Sudan and Sudan to resolve the long-standing dispute over the Abyei Administrative Area through peaceful dialogue, warning that residents of the area have remained caught in political delays.

Yakani, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), said the continued disagreement between Juba and Khartoum over Abyei’s status is a concern and urged both sides to prioritize a lasting solution.

“The sons and daughters of Abyei should not be a hostage of delaying political decisions on the status of Abyei between Juba and Khartoum,” Yakani said.

He said residents of Abyei deserve clarity about their political future and should be allowed to fully enjoy their rights.

“Our brothers and sisters in Abyei need to have political rights. They need to have a status because up to now, they seem to be citizens without that clear status simply because of the dispute of ownership between Juba and Khartoum over Abyei,” he added.

The remarks follow Sudan’s rejection of South Sudan’s decision to include Abyei Administrative Area, together with parts of Twic County in Warrap State, as one of the country’s geographical constituencies for the general elections scheduled for December this year.

In December last year, South Sudan’s National Elections Commission declared the area part of the electoral constituencies. However, Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday said the move violated the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the Abyei Protocol, and subsequent agreements governing the disputed territory.

Khartoum also called on regional and international organizations to intervene in the matter.

Yakani appealed to both governments to resolve the issue through dialogue, saying the people of Abyei should not continue to bear the consequences of unresolved political disagreements.

“My appeal to both Juba and Khartoum is to resolve the status of Abyei through amicable dialogue,” he said