copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-20): The Abyei Area (Arabic: منطقة أبيي) is an area of 10,546 km2 or 4,072 sq mi[2] on the border between South Sudan and Sudan that has been accorded "special administrative status" by the 2004 Protocol on the Resolution of the Abyei Conflict (Abyei Protocol) in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the Second Sudanese Civil War.[3] The capital of the Abyei Area is Abyei Town. Under the terms of the Abyei Protocol, the Abyei Area is considered, on an interim basis, to be simultaneously part of both the Republic of South Sudan and Republic of Sudan, effectively a condominium. [...] Abyei Area Administration [edit]Under the terms of the Abyei Protocol, the residents of the Abyei Area have been declared, on an interim basis, to be simultaneously citizens of the states of West Kurdufan (Republic of Sudan) and Northern Bahr el Ghazal (South Sudan) until such time as a referendum can determine the permanent status of the area. An Abyei Area Administration was established on 31 August 2008. [...] - Abraham, I. 2007, ‘South Sudan Abyei now or never’ Archived 28 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Sudan Tribune, 3 March. (Opinion piece.)
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-10-26): Little progress on disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan Despite the strengthening of the relationship between Sudan and South Sudan, little progress has been made regarding the disputed Abyei region, the head of UN Peacekeeping told the Security Council on Thursday. [...] "However, despite this continued rapprochement between the Sudan and South Sudan, the peace process has made little progress in Abyei. The main developments at the local level were the appointments by Juba and Khartoum of their respective chief administrators", he said.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-11-21): 32 killed in attacks in the Abyei region, which is disputed between Sudan and South Sudan [...] Earlier this month, the U.N. special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Hanna Serwaa Tetteh warned that the "unprecedented" 7-month war between Sudan’s army and a rival paramilitary force was getting closer to South Sudan and the Abyei region. [...] Sudan and South Sudan have disagreed over control of the oil-rich Abyei region since South Sudan gained independence from Sudan after a 2005 peace deal ended decades of civil war between Sudan’s north and south.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2015-07-01): Abyei, a fist of oil-rich land on the border between Sudan and South Sudan, is violently contested. Abyei is a tormented piece of land, locked on the border between Sudan and South Sudan. [...] Abyei is also ethnically contested. It is claimed by a southern sub-tribe – the Ngok-Dinka – who raise livestock and live inside the box. They held a unilateral referendum in 2013, voting to join South Sudan, but this has never been recognised.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-03-31): ABYEI OVERVIEW AND DISPLACEMENT DYNAMICS The Abyei Administrative Area (AAA) is a territory of 10,546 km2 bordering Sudan and South Sudan and disputed by the two countries. While the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement mandated a referendum to determine Abyei’s permanent status, the vote has yet to be held due to disputes over who qualities to vote and composition of the Abyei Referendum Commission. [...] Those tensions have been exacerbated by national politics that have made Abyei a contested area following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 that would eventually lead to South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011. The relationship between the communities has been subsumed by the struggle between the countries to the north and south. The Dinka-Ngok have strong cultural and political ties to the Government of South Sudan while the Misseriya have supported the interests of the Government of Sudan. Competition over Abyei between the two capitals (Juba and Khartoum) is linked to maintaining loyalties of their respective communities and the impact that these communities have on national politics. Serious fighting in 2007 to 2008 in the area led to the displacement of up to 25,000 people from the central part of Abyei including Abyei town to areas south of river Kiir in Agok and surrounding villages.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-01-30): - Located between Sudan and South Sudan, Abyei has been a flashpoint since the South gained independence in 2011. [...] The clashes in Abyei, a contested oil-rich territory straddling the border of both countries, broke out at the weekend, according to local authorities. [...] Located between Sudan and South Sudan, Abyei has been a flashpoint since the South gained independence in 2011.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2013-12-19): To allow the people of Abyei to decide whether they want the area to remain part of Sudan or be restored, 98 years after it was transferred by the stroke of a colonial pen, to South Sudan. A dispute between Khartoum and Juba over voter eligibility prevented the referendum being held as scheduled in early 2011, when residents of what was then the autonomous region of southern Sudan voted in a separate referendum which paved the way for its secession in July of that year. Most of Abyei’s permanent residents belong to the Ngok Dinka community, which largely supported southern rebels in the 1983-2005 civil war against Khartoum. This conflict was in part sparked by the failure to honour a 1972 peace accord provision that Abyei hold a self-determination referendum. [...] In terms of natural resources, water (notably the River Kiir, also known as the Bahr al-Arab), pasture and some arable land are Abyei’s main assets. Perhaps the most valuable commodity there now is political capital: neither Juba nor Khartoum can afford to lose what has become a zero-sum game. For South Sudan, and most Ngok Dinka, Abyei is historically and culturally part of the south, as well as a cause the Juba government uses to unite its disparate peoples.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2011-05-23): Sudan: Why Abyei is crucial to north and south - Published Abyei town may not look like much - a few low brick buildings scattered amongst thatched huts and dusty tracks - but this normally sleepy place is raising fears of a new Sudanese war after northern forces seized control over the weekend. [...] Abyei is claimed by a southern group, the Dinka Ngok, and northern nomads, the Misseriya.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-03-05): On the border between South Sudan and Sudan, Abyei covers just over 10,000 square kilometres. Its special administrative status, mandated by a 2005 peace agreement, belies the simmering tensions that have fuelled violent inter-communal conflicts. [...] Abyei – a territory roughly the size of Jamaica – is being contested by two countries, Sudan and South Sudan. Abyei, which covers just over 10,000km², is under special administrative status following the terms of a 2005 peace agreement between the two countries. [...] Abyei is deeply embedded in the history of the Ngok Dinka community, who are among the northernmost Dinka populations. The Dinka represent the predominant ethnolinguistic group in South Sudan, a country that emerged as the world’s newest nation in 2011.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-11-06): Peacekeeping chief encouraged by ‘warming’ relations between Sudan and South Sudan over Abyei The Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations told the Security Council on Wednesday that he was encouraged by a thaw in relations between South Sudan and Sudan, now that both have established national committees on the question of Abyei, the disputed oil-rich border territory claimed by both countries. [...] Regarding Abyei, he said "the long-standing deadlock has hindered any progress, besides leaving the area with a clearly defined status that has continued to stoke instability."
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-05-07): Ongoing war in Sudan stalls progress in disputed Abyei region The ongoing conflict between rival militaries in Sudan has stalled progress towards the determination of the final status of the disputed oil-rich Abyei region which straddles the Sudan-South Sudan border, the head of UN peacekeeping operations said on Tuesday. [...] The situation in Sudan has also exacerbated intercommunal tensions in Abyei, highlighted by recent clashes over cattle rustling that resulted in multiple fatalities among the Misseriya and Nuer communities.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-07-01): Prelude [edit]The Abyei area is inhabited by the Ngok Dinka, a sub-group of the Dinka people who live in South Sudan.[2] In the early 1900s, Misseriya Arabs moved to the area following the British conquest.[3] Following the independence of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011, Abyei was left as a disputed area as no side wanted to give up the rich oilfields in the region.[4] A short war broke out in 2012 over the area, but was resolved by the creation of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). As of 2024, South Sudan holds de facto control over the area.[4] [...] - ^ "Abyei opts to join South Sudan in unofficial referendum". BBC News. 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2023-09-28. [...] - ^ "UNISFA Condemns the reported presence of South Sudanese uniformed personnel inside the Abyei Area - Sudan | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 2023-03-01. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-03-17): The oil-rich Abyei Administrative Area straddles the border between Sudan’s West Kordofan state and South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el-Ghazal, Warrap, and Unity states. The area has been claimed and disputed by both countries since South Sudan gained independence in 2011. Abyei is strategically important, home to oil fields, farmland, and pasture.1Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, ‘Crisis in Abyei- HART Briefing,’ 27 April 2022 Violence has frequently erupted in the area since at least 2011 due to land and resource-sharing disputes between the communities inhabiting the region.2Joshua Craze, ‘Dividing lines: Grazing and conflict along the Sudan-South Sudan border,’ Small Arms Survey, July 2013 Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence, as the political status of Abyei remains unresolved and measures to manage inter-communal disputes are lacking. Thus far in 2023, dozens of people have been reportedly killed in violence between Twic Dinka and Ngok Dinka communities in Abyei (see map below).
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2019-04-11): According to the Abyei Protocol, which was part of the 2005 CPA, the Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC) was to be composed of five members from the government, five from the SPLM/A, and five ‘international expertsÕ from the US, UK and the IGAD. The government was required to nominate two from the Messiriya and the SPLM/A from the neighbouring Dinka tribe in the Abyei area. The experts in the commission were to consult the British and other relevant archives. The ABC was instructed to determine the boundary to be included in the special administration. The commission was expected to deliver its final report by the end of pre-interim period or 9 July 2005. [...] The dispute continued over border demarcation as well as over who was eligible to vote in the Abyei referendum. As a result, a referendum planned in Abyei on its future status was never held.1 As a matter of fact, Sudan invaded and occupied Abyei in May 2011.2Jeffrey Gettleman and Josh Kron, "Warnings of All-Out War in Fight Over Sudan Town," New York Times, May 22, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/23/world/africa/23sudan.html?pagewanted=a… Sudan and South Sudan had agreed to pull their troops out of the disputed territory by the end of September 2011. The UN peacekeepers were deployed in the region to maintain peace as the disputed territory became a flashpoint between the north and the south. - "Sudan, South Sudan to pull out troops from Abyei – UN," BBC News Africa, September 9, 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14849100.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-04-30): The security situation in the area remains tense, with continuing inter-communal violence. The Secretary-General’s most recent report on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), dated 26 February and covering developments between 1 December 2023 and 15 February, said that inter-communal violence between the Ngok Dinka and Twic Dinka communities persisted in the contested areas along the border between the Abyei area and Warrap state in South Sudan. In a 31 December 2023 press release, UNISFA condemned the killing of the Juba-appointed deputy chief administrator in the southern Abyei area, Noon Deng Nyok, and five other people in an ambush by an "armed group" in Wunpeth, near Agok town. This incident, the press release said, "risk[ed] the gains that have been made towards resolving the difficult situation in [s]outhern Abyei". It called on all parties to exercise restraint and collaborate in bringing the perpetrators of the crime to justice and further reaffirmed UNISFA’s commitment to supporting local authorities in their efforts to promote reconciliation, stability, and the rule of law.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-07-18): Despite the arbitrary nature of the colonial carving up of Africa, the borders of African states have rarely changed over the preceding decades. Since African states began to gain their independence, they have operated with the hand that was dealt them. Rarely has a secessionist movement been successful, such as Biafra in Nigeria and Cabinda in Angola. The Sudanese civil war was one of the rare conflicts that ended in the creation of a new African state. While the borders between South Sudan and Sudan were agreed, one region was left unallocated. Abyei has remained a disputed territory for well over a decade, with the recent war in Sudan having halted any progress that was being made to finding a resolution. The Abyei area is just over 10,000km² in size and sits between Sudan and South Sudan, almost exactly in the middle of the border. Since South Sudan gained independence in 2011, the two countries have long disputed over who controls the territory. One of the reasons for the dispute is that the region possesses oil in the Deffra fields, making it a lucrative area for either side to control. Furthermore, there is a historic ethnic divide between the nomadic Misseriya tribe and the Ngok Dinka tribe. During the country’s civil war that led to partition, members of the Misseriya community fought in pro-Khartoum militias, while the Ngok Dinka community mainly supported southern rebels. As the two countries split, the initial belief was that the Misseriya would favour remaining as part of Sudan, while the Ngok Dinka would be looking to join the then newly formed South Sudan.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-04-08): Abyei is its own Administrative Area claimed by the governments of both South Sudan and Sudan. It borders Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State (Aweil East County) to the south-west, Warrap State (Twic County) to the south, and Unity State (Abiemnhom County) to the south-east. It also borders East Darfur State and West Kordofan State of Sudan to the north-west and north, respectively. [...] Abyei has subsequently remained a separate administrative region, with central and southern areas de facto governed by a Ngok Dinka administration and northern areas controlled by Sudanese forces (Craze 2023, p.2). An African Union proposed referendum planned for 2013 was postponed because of disagreement over who was eligible to vote as residents of the administrative area. Sudan’s government argued the Misseriya should be counted as residents and be able to vote, while South Sudan’s government argued they were seasonal migrants and thus not eligible (Small Arms Survey 2015). An informal referendum was organised and held by the Abyei Referendum High Committee in October 2013 amid local frustration at delays, despite a boycott from Misseriya groups and warnings from UN and AU (Craze 2014). While a majority of voters supported Abyei becoming part of South Sudan, neither the Sudanese nor South Sudanese governments recognized the results of this referendum. [...] Gebrekidan, G.Z. (2021). Tribal Conflict over Natural Resources on the Sudan – South Sudan Border: The Case of the Abyei Territory. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2015-01-30): Abyei, the disputed area straddling the Sudan-South Sudan border, remains a major source of tension between the two countries. They still have not agreed on the criteria for voter participation in a referendum to determine whether Abyei joins Sudan or South Sudan. Sudan continues to maintain police around the Diffra oil facility in contravention of resolutions 1990 and 2046. And temporary administrative and security units—including the Abyei Area Executive Council, the Abyei Area Administration and the Abyei Police Service—envisaged by the 20 June 2011 agreement between the parties on "Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area" and designed to provide stability in the region until its final status can be determined have not been established. [...] The Council last met to discuss UNISFA and the situation in Abyei in consultations on 9 December 2014, with Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous briefing. He reported that South Sudan had appointed a co-chair of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC), although the AJOC has not formally reconvened since a Misseriya assailant shot and killed Deng Kuol Deng, the Ngok-Dinka paramount chief, in May 2013. (Initiated in 2011, the AJOC was designed to provide administrative and political oversight of Abyei.) [...] The fundamental issue remains whether and how the Council can compel Sudan and South Sudan to establish temporary administrative and security institutions in Abyei, and over the longer term, to agree on a mutually acceptable process for resolving the final status of the area.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-11-21): The Abyei region remains a contested area between Sudan and South Sudan, with its political future and final status still unresolved. A proposed joint administration from a 2011 agreement still needs to be established, with separate administrations appointed by both Juba and Khartoum struggling to provide basic services. The region grapples with frequent violence from armed elements, climate change-induced disasters, and economic hardships driven by high inflation in Sudan and South Sudan. The international community serves as the primary provider of life-saving assistance and protection, although access challenges, limited resources, and unequal aid distribution persist. In 2024, given the conflict in Sudan and strained resources, coordinated humanitarian efforts between South Sudan and Sudan will remain challenging. Humanitarian assistance will be extended from both countries to cover Abyei's entire area, accommodating around 280,000 individuals in need of humanitarian assistance. Conflict, loss of livelihood, and displacement compounded by the influx of returnees from Sudan, will continue to increase vulnerability in 2024. Climate change exacerbates these issues, with floods and livestock diseases disrupting the local economy and increasing food insecurity. Humanitarian efforts in Abyei aim to alleviate suffering, reduce dependency on aid, and cover health, nutrition, WASH, agriculture, livestock, protection, and education. It considers conflict dynamics, returnees, refugees, climate, seasonal migration, and livestock's role in the local economy. Humanitarian and recovery agencies will focus on revitalizing economic activities and enhancing income-generating opportunities to improve livelihoods. This comprehensive response seeks to address the complex and interconnected challenges facing Abyei's population.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-12-13): UNMAS in support of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei Since 2011, the status of the Abyei Area has remained a contentious issue between Sudan and South Sudan. Fighting between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and the Sudan Armed Forces in the Abyei Area escalated and resulted in the total destruction of Abyei town and surrounding villages. Clashes led to the displacement of more than 100,000 people and additional contamination from landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). Tensions in the region continue to date. [...] In resolution 2352 (2017), the Council demands "…that the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan continue to facilitate the deployment of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to ensure freedom of movement, as well as the identification and clearance of mines in the Abyei Area and the Safe Demilitarised Border Zone (SDBZ).
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2018-07-08): UNMAS has saved lives and protected livelihoods in conflict- torn communities including Abyei area (Sudan/South Sudan), Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, State of Palestine, Somalia, Sudan (including Darfur), South Sudan, Syria and the Territory of Western Sahara. [...] Furthermore, UNMAS supports UNISFA in weapons and ammunition management (WAM), to mitigate the threat to peace and security in Abyei arising from the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons. [...] The resolution continues to demand "…that the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan continue to facilitate the deployment of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to ensure freedom of movement, as well as the identification and clearance of mines in the Abyei Area and the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ)."
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-02-05): Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Abyei, Sudan [...] Dozens of civilians have been killed in a series of attacks in southern Abyei since 27 January. Four off-duty staff of local non-governmental organizations were also killed. The fighting has displaced more than 2,200 people, most of them women and children seeking refuge in a UNISFA – that is the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei – compound in Rumajak, about 7 kilometres north of Abyei town. Abyei is the disputed region along South Sudan’s border with Sudan. Over the past three days, the UN and its humanitarian partners have provided food and shelter materials to the displaced, despite major access and logistical challenges. A health team also carried out medical consultations.
Claim: Abyei is a territory of South Sudan (Abyei, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-04-30): As pandemic encroaches on Abyei, tensions rise over disputed territory straddling Sudan, South Sudan Sudan’s efforts to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, are delaying the deployment of fresh United Nations police units in Abyei and the border regions between Sudan and South Sudan, the UN’s peacekeeping chief told the Security Council on Tuesday [...] It is also tasked with, among other things, monitoring and verifying the redeployment of armed forces from the Abyei area, in accordance with the 20 June 2011 Agreement between Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, which led to independence in the south, for the world’s youngest nation.