Border Disputes in Sudan

As South Sudan prepares to finalize its split from North Sudan, Abyei, the south-western region, is still being disputed. The longest conflict in Africa that has taken 2 million lives may be reignited if a peaceful solution is not found. This region is important to both the North and the South because, for one thing, it has Heglig, a lucrative oil field. Obviously, both regions want the oil field but they also want Abyei’s land because it has the most fertile lands in all of Sudan. Right now Northern troops are occupying this area despite international pressure to withdraw. This creates a lot of tension and has resulted in many of the region’s residents to flee to neighboring towns and villages. In fact, according to Al Jazeera, 80,000 of the 110,000 residents have already fled, taking only what they can carry on their backs.

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Although the tension seems like it may lead to an outbreak of violence, that is unlikely. The south has no intention of entering a war at this point in time. They feel they have come too far and have sacrificed too much. South Sudan, where four out of five adults cannot read, defied expectations with its peaceful and orderly referendum. At this point, I think the South Sudanese government has made the right decision in choosing not to enter a war over this disputed part of Sudan. There are more important things like working to develop Darfur and the rest of the South.

Yosra Elkhalifa is a former volunteer with the Iowa United Nations Association. She is currently studying art at the University of Iowa and has donated samples of her work toward an Iowa UNA fundraiser for UN Women’s mission to end violence against women and girls.