Civil society activist Edmund Yakani has accused unnamed political elites of exploiting a boundary dispute between communities in the Abyei Administrative Area and Twic Mayardit County of Warrap State to fuel tensions ahead of South Sudan’s planned December 2026 elections.
Yakani, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), urged President Salva Kiir Mayardit to intervene before the dispute escalates into violence.
“I would like to appeal to His Excellency the President to really rein on this negative development that is emerging between our brothers from Abyei and Twic Mayardit County of Warrap over matters of dispute over boundaries,” Yakani said.
The dispute has raised concerns among civil society actors over the potential for local tensions to be exploited for political purposes as the country prepares for elections.
Yakani warned that some political elites could seek to use disputes over constituencies and land to mobilise communities and deepen divisions during the election period.
“Some group of political elites would like to take advantage of this situation to reshape and redesign the history and to instigate violence as an approach of mitigating their differences over electoral fever or election-related matters,” he said.
He said the dispute required urgent attention from the government to prevent the situation from deteriorating.
According to Yakani, the country’s political leadership should act before tensions between the affected communities escalate further.
“We believe in your wisdom,” he said, appealing directly to President Kiir to intervene and help resolve the dispute peacefully.
Yakani also alleged that a small group of political elites was behind efforts to inflame the situation, calling for those responsible to be held accountable.
“We are aware that some few groups of political elites are the ones instigating this and this should not allow to go as they want. They should be held accountable and disciplined,” he said.
His comments come as South Sudan prepares for elections scheduled for December 2026, with disputes over political constituencies and territorial boundaries expected to remain sensitive issues.
Yakani urged the government to prioritise dialogue and peaceful resolution of the Abyei-Twic dispute, warning that allowing political interests to deepen local tensions could undermine stability ahead of the elections.
