Abyei status referendum
The Abyei status referendum is a delayed referendum that was originally due to be held in 2011 in which the residents of Abyei can decide either to remain part of the Sudanese South Kordofan region or to become part of the Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan.[1]
History
The referendum was originally planned to be held simultaneously to the
On 24 October 2012, the
Informal vote
Between 27 and 29 October 2013 an informal, non-binding vote was held, although unrecognised by either Sudan or South Sudan. Only the Ngok Dinka tribe participated, with the Arab Misseriya tribe boycotting, claiming it would not recognise the result. The vote followed UN and AU warnings that such a move could inflame tensions.[8] As counting took place, the Misseriya vowed to carry out its own such referendum.[9] The spokesman for the Abyei Referendum High Committee, Luka Biong, announced that of those who voted, 99.9% supported joining South Sudan; this was then followed by celebrations.
The head of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said the vote was illegal and its organisers risked sparking a return to war. "They pose a threat to peace in the Abyei area, and have the potential to trigger an unprecedented escalation on the ground... with far-reaching consequences for the region as a whole." An independent observer, Tim Flatman, said that 63,433 of 64,775 registered voters took part in the referendum and that only 12 voted to be part of Sudan, while there were 362 spoiled ballots. Flatman also suggested initial observations suggested a "very transparent process."[10]
Choice | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
South Sudan | 63,059 | 99.98 | |
Sudan | 12 | 0.02 | |
Total | 63,071 | 100.00 | |
Valid votes | 63,071 | 99.43 | |
Invalid/blank votes | 362 | 0.57 | |
Total votes | 63,433 | 100.00 | |
Registered voters/turnout | 64,775 | 97.93 | |
Source: Al Jazeera |
References
- ^ "Actualités Afrique - Economie, sport, santé, politique". Afriquejet.com. Archived from the original on 2020-05-16. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
- ^ "Five challenges South Sudan will face after referendum". Christian Science Monitor. CSMonitor.com. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
- ^ "Abyei clashes not impacting Sudan referendum: US". 2011-01-11. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
- ^ "AfricaNews - Extra joint troops to be deployed to Abyei - the AfricaNews articles of Maiwen". Archived from the original on 2011-01-28. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
- ^ Rebecca Hamilton (2011-01-09). "Sudan: Residency Dispute Threatens Abyei Referendum". Pulitzer Center. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
- ^ "South Sudan Accepts African Union Proposal Over Abyei With Mixed Reactions". allAfrica.com. 2012-09-24. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
- ^ "Sudanese foreign minister predicts additional time over Abyei". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
- ^ "Abyei referendum enters second day | News | al Jazeera".
- ^ "Counting begins after Abyei referendum | News | al Jazeera".
- ^ "Abyei's Dinka vote to join South Sudan | News | al Jazeera".