President Salva Kiir has issued an order introducing interim administrative and electoral arrangements for disputed constituencies involving Abyei, Warrap, Ruweng and Unity states, amid Sudan’s opposition to Abyei’s participation in South Sudan’s upcoming elections.
Under the order, Abiemnom will be designated Constituency No. 7, while Abyei Town and its surrounding areas will form Constituency No. 1.
The order also designates the Anet area and its environs as a buffer zone under the oversight of security forces.
Kiir said the measures are intended to prevent violence, protect civilians and facilitate a peaceful, inclusive and non-discriminatory electoral process.
However, the order clarifies that the interim arrangements do not determine the final status of any disputed boundary or territory.
Sudan has warned against Abyei’s participation in South Sudan’s upcoming elections, maintaining that the area’s status remains unresolved.
Abyei is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, and its final status has yet to be settled.
The latest order introduces temporary electoral arrangements amid the longstanding dispute, but it does not resolve the question of Abyei’s sovereignty or its final administrative status.
