Today, the Enough Project released a report calling for the resolution of the dispute over Abyei, a resource-rich region straddling South Sudan and Sudan. After the Enough Project traveled to the region and conducted interviews with member of Abyei's two communities in December 2012, the urgency of resolving the disputed territory's status and subsequently preventing violence during this year's dry season became even more apparent.
This video filmed during the field visit captures the sentiments of the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities:
In September 2012, the African Union High Level Implementation Panel, or AUHIP, presented a proposal that would protect migratory, civic, political, and economic rights of the two communities with the greatest stake in Abyei: the southern-aligned Ngok Dinka, who have historically inhabited Abyei, and the northern-identifying nomadic Misseriya pastoralists. The September AUHIP Proposal calls for a referendum to determine the final status of Abyei, continued rights for local Ngok Dinka and Misseryia communities, migratory rights for the Misseriya and other pastoralists, and economic development and revenue sharing for Abyei and surrounding communities. Unfortunately, the government of Sudan rejected this proposal without offering constructive alternatives for resolving Abyei's final status.
As a result, there remains deep-rooted polarization and underlying fear between the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities. Report authors Renata Rendon and Amanda Hsiao write:
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