By Yiep Joseph
South Sudan has formally responded to concerns raised by Sudan over the participation of Abyei residents in the country’s forthcoming general elections.
The government maintained that the decision is consistent with the legal framework governing the disputed area.
South Sudan reaffirmed its commitment to resolving Abyei’s final status through dialogue.
The response follows a statement issued by Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 13, in which Khartoum expressed reservations over South Sudan’s inclusion of Abyei in preparations for the December 22, 2026, general elections.
Sudan argued that such a move is inconsistent with the 2005 Abyei Protocol, the 2011 Agreement on Temporary Administrative and Security Arrangements for Abyei, and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, which provide that the territory’s final status should be settled through negotiations between the two countries.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, the spokesperson for South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Agok Anyar Madut, said Juba’s position is firmly rooted in the provisions of the Abyei Protocol.
“The inclusion of Abyei residents in the upcoming elections is legally justified under the Abyei Protocol,” Agok said.
He explained that the protocol recognises the rights of Abyei residents and provides for their representation in both Western Kordofan and Bahr el Ghazal, now Warrap State, pending a negotiated settlement on the area’s final status.
Ambassador Agok also recalled that Abyei residents participated in the 2010 general elections held before South Sudan’s independence, noting that their participation was accepted under the legal framework governing the territory.
“It is equally important to recall that, based on the legal grounds stated in the legal instruments cited above, residents of the Abyei Area took part in the general elections held in 2010 in the then Southern Sudan, and their participation was not objected to by any party, as it was consistent with the legal framework that governed and continues to govern the Abyei issue,” he said.
According to the ministry, the forthcoming elections continue an established constitutional and legal practice based on rights recognised under existing agreements concerning Abyei.
Despite the differing interpretations, South Sudan emphasised that it remains committed to a peaceful resolution of the dispute.
“We reiterate that the Government of the Republic of South Sudan remains fully committed to resolving the final status of Abyei through dialogue and negotiations,” Ambassador Agok said.
Abyei remains one of the outstanding issues between South Sudan and Sudan since the independence of South Sudan in 2011.
Under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the area was to hold a referendum to determine whether it would join South Sudan or remain part of Sudan.
However, disagreements over voter eligibility and other implementation issues have delayed the process, leaving the territory under a special administrative arrangement while negotiations continue.
The latest exchange reflects the continued engagement of both governments on the future of Abyei, with each side reaffirming its interpretation of the governing agreements while expressing support for resolving the matter through peaceful dialogue and established diplomatic channels.