An Examination Of The Failure Of The Conflict Resolution Of The Dispute Between South Sudan And Sudan In Abyei Area 2005-2017

This Study is the result of deskwork review of Basic major documents,on Abyei area conflict Resolution,in order to expose factors that contributed to nonimplementation and failure of the conflict resolution of Abyei Protocol and the rejection,by the Sudan government,of the Abyei Boundaries Commission Report.The main argument is that the Abyei area conflict which presents a landmark of government failure to manage sociocultural diversity in Sudan,has been generated over the ages by a complex array of overlapping historical,economic,ethnic/social,and territorial factors that have not been sufficiently addressed to date by local,national,or international actors.The conflict presents a number of issues that are still in need of careful treatment to avoid risking a return to war in the region,including: land possession and ownership,especially as it relates to shared surface resources such as pasturelands and water;the demarcation of a territorial border between the two South Sudan and Sudan,also linked to sovereignty claims;as well as claims to subterranean resources,such as oil and natural gas.The attitudes of the two communities,instilled by the different phases of Abyei area conflict,shaped the behavior of people: creating a constant need for patron-to-client protection,creating ethnicity-driven ideologies for self-defense,and in the end,creating fundamental rifts between the two ethnic groups.Such historical and socio-cultural factors have not only prolonged and magnified the conflict,but also deepened economic poverty and made implementation of signed accords and local harmony difficult to achieve.The deadlock is generated by factors exogenous to the local communities,the Ngok-Dinka and the Misseriya ethnic groups,particularly after the separation of South Sudan in 2011.Thus,it not only threatens a return to open war between the two South Sudan and Sudan,but also suggests that a second look at some basic documents is in order to determine whether alternate in-roads might be pursued.In addition,the government of Sudan has persistently used Abyei area as battleground for their tactical maneuvers,intrigues,and political games.As a result,the two States have failed to abide by the operational rules of signed accords and stalled in negotiations during the years 2005 to 2014,including mediation efforts by AU,the AUHIP and the IGAD.The contradictory positions of the two South Sudan and Sudan also contributed to nonimplementation of agreements both sides willfully signed.It is also evident that misperceptions about the area have characterized negotiations at all phases of the conflict.