Abyei leaders to present 2013 referendum vote outcome to national government

Leaders in the disputed Abyei Administrative Area plan to deliver the vote results of the 2013 unilateral referendum in which majority of the Ngok Dinka voted to be part of South Sudan.

By Awan Achiek

Leaders in the disputed Abyei Administrative Area plan to deliver the vote results of the 2013 unilateral referendum in which majority of the Ngok Dinka voted to be part of South Sudan.

 In November 2024, the Executive Council of the Abyei Administrative Area and the Area Legislative Council unanimously endorsed the results of the 2013 unofficial referendum whose outcome was rejected by the African Union (AU) and the South Sudan government.

The AU mediation team proposed to the leaders of South Sudan and Sudan to hold the referendum in October 2013 without the participation of the Misseriya nomads.

Juba accepted the proposal as it copes with its demand and Khartoum rejected it, reiterating its commitment to a previous deal the mediation had proposed in November 2010, calling to divide the region if they fail to agree on the issue.

On Sunday, the Abyei Administrative Area Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Acting Minister of Information, Deng Kiir Matier, said the result of the vote was handed to the Abyei Legislative Assembly for adoption, and now it will be presented to the South Sudan government.

 “The meeting discussed a range of issues related to Abyei, including the recent adoption and endorsement of the Abyei Area community referendum results of October 2013 by both the Area Executive Council and the Area Legislative Council, and the plan to deliver the endorsed results to the national government for the official endorsement and recognition,” Kiir said in a statement seen by The Dawn.

He said the Chief Administrator of Abyei, Dr. Chol Deng Alak met with the Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) on Sunday to discuss the recent endorsement of the October 2013 referendum results and operationalization of Khadian (Athony) Airport as recommended by the 8th Governors Forum.

In October 2013, the Ngok Dinka of the disputed region of Abyei voted overwhelmingly to join South Sudan in a unilateral popular referendum, which saw 99.9 percent of voters wanting to join South Sudan.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011, leaving the status of Abyei to be determined by a vote supervised by the African Union, which has never taken place to date.

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