JUBA — South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Friday reconstituted a high-level committee to facilitate dialogue and expedite the resolution of the final status of the disputed Abyei region.
In a presidential decree read on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Friday night, the committee has been tasked to engage directly with the Government of Sudan and report monthly to the president on the progress made toward resolving Abyei’s status.
The committee is led by Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, Vice President for the Economic Cluster, with Pieng Deng Majok serving as the deputy chair.
The members include Chol Mawut Ungwech Ajongo, the Minister of Presidential Affairs, who acts as Rapporteur, and Martin Otimoya as Deputy Rapporteur.
Other members are Monday Semaya Kumba, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Gen. Chol Thon Balok, Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs.
Member of Parliament representing Abyei and the Director General of the Internal Security Bureau.
Additionally, the Chairperson of the Abyei Oversight Committee and representatives from civil society, including Dier Tong Ngor, Tor Deng Mawien, Deng Deng Akuei, and Deng Biong Mijak, are also part of the committee.
The committee is tasked with pursuing Abyei’s final status with the Government of Sudan, presenting South Sudan’s position to regional and international partners in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and advising the government on necessary steps toward a lasting settlement.
Abyei, a resource-rich border region, has been a point of contention between South Sudan and Sudan since South Sudan gained independence in 2011.
The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement granted Abyei a special administrative status and called for a referendum to determine its future—a process that remains unresolved.
Analysts stated that the reconstitution of the committee indicates a renewed political commitment from President Kiir’s government to promote dialogue and achieve a lasting resolution to Abyei’s enduring status.
