A referendum is 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] The referendum was originally planned to be held simultaneously to the 2011 Southern Sudanese independence referendum on January 9-15, 2011, but was postponed indefinitely due to disagreements over the process.[2][3] Due to the uncertainty violence has erupted in which more than 30 people were killed. As a response the UN has deployed extra troops[4] On May 21 2011, Northern Sudan seized Abyei through military force raising questions as to if a vote will be held.[5]
The impasse on the referendum is due to lack of agreement on who constitutes a "resident of Abyei". The question is whether to include Arab nomads (the Messiria tribe), who have historically stayed in the region every year for six months. If the Misseriya Arabs are prevented from voting, the region will likely go to South Sudan.[6]
For further information see Southern Sudanese independence referendum, 2011.
|
|||||||||||