Map of the contested Abyei Administrative Area.

The Abyei Administrative Area is set to present the 2013 referendum results, endorsed by the area’s parliament, to the South Sudanese national government for official adoption.

This comes after years of advocacy by the Ngok Dinka community to determine Abyei’s final status.

According to Acting Minister of Information Deng Kiir Matier, on December 24, 2024, the Executive Council of Abyei unanimously endorsed the results of the 2013 referendum, which were officially presented by the high commission of the Abyei Community.

Last month, the deputy chief administrator appealed to the government of South Sudan to recognize the referendum results, in which 99 per cent of the Ngok Dinka voted to join South Sudan.

Despite this, the 8th Governors Forum refrained from publicly acknowledging the disputed region’s final status, including the call to adopt the referendum outcome.

Speaking to Eye Radio, Minister Matier confirmed that an extraordinary meeting, chaired by Chief Administrator Dr. Chol Deng Alak, had unanimously approved the referendum results.

He added that the results will now be presented to the governance cluster and then the National Council of Ministries Parliament for final adoption.

“The Abyei Administrative Area Parliament has approved the results of the 2013 referendum for the Ngok Dinka communities,” said Chol.

“The Chief Administrator will now hand over the resolution approved by the Parliament to the Office of the First Vice President responsible for the Governing cluster,” he said.

“This is the next step until the highest authorities in the country consult on the resolution and deliberate before the Council of Ministers and Parliament and conclude with a decision by the President,” he added.

On October 23, 2013, leaders from the contested oil-rich region of Abyei announced their determination to hold a unilateral vote to decide whether the region should remain part of Sudan or join South Sudan.

This move came amid ongoing tensions over Abyei’s final status, as both Sudan and South Sudan have laid claim to the area following the 2011 South Sudanese independence.