Borderlands in Abyei

1. Borderlands in Abyei • Presentation By: • Jack Dentith • John Fenning • - Jess Hayes • - Kellee Jacobs • - Alessia Mura • - Sam Rosmarin

3. May 2008

4. Over 300 buildings destroyed

5. May 2008

6. 30-50 thousand people displaced

8. Research Question: What is the nature of the conflict in Abyei?

9. THESIS STATEMENT: The process of border formation in Sudan has been critical in shaping the nature and level of conflict Abyei in terms of its actors and stakes

10. Structure • Borderland Framework • Analysis: Border Formation • First Sudanese Civil War • State (Development) Policy • Oil • Conflict Interests and Perceptions • Hardening Identity Divide • International Diplomatic Effort and its Limits • Citizenship and Sovereignty

11. Timeline Lord Kitchener of Khartoum 1700s – first interaction between Ngok Dinka and Misserya 1905 – British transfer Abyei to Kordofan Province in the North 1955-1972 –First Sudanese Civil War 1983 – Second Sudanese Civil War begins

12. Timeline Omar al-Bashir and John Garang at the Signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 2004 –Abyei protocol 2005- Second Civil War ends, Abyei Boundary Commission defines Abyei boundaries 2008 – Renewed clashes in Abyei 2009 – International Arbitration modifies ABC boundaries 2011 – Southern Referendum, but no Abyei referendum

13. Borderlands Framework What are borders? What are borderlands? How do they affect conflict?

14. Borders are “Time written in space” (Rupnik, 1994) The Sudanese Borderlands Today

15. What are Borderlands? Defined by their contradictions (Anderson and O’Down, 1999) Polarizing Contested Violent ‘neuralgia points’ (Goodhand)

16. Frontier Hirst (2005) distinguishes between a frontier, which is fluid and mobile, and a border, which is fixed

18. External Factors Local Processes and Perceptions Border Formation British colonialism National conflict, national identities Oil ‘Development’ policy CPA – Abyei Protocol Citizenship Exclusion and threat of exclusion Marginalization Hardened identities Grievances

19. First Sudanese Civil War (1955-1972) • Emerging divisions between the Misseriya and the Ngok as a result of national conflict. • Seeds of further division sewn in peace: Addis Ababa Agreement (1972) • Roots of Southern Autonomy • Referendum for Abyei

20. Interactions within Borderlands Dinka Cattle Camps Misseriya Cattle Camps Oil Pipelines Nomadic Routes Grazing Areas

21. State (Development) Policy • Agricultural policy - large irrigated schemes + attempted settlement of nomads- balance of payments + conflict due to ‘underdevelopment’  Encroachment + Marginalisation- Misseriya pushed south + feel excluded from Abyei Development Project (1978-1981) • Emasculation of Local Leaders + Land Rights • Native Adminstration Yea or Nay?  Changes in the way land is used and perceived

22. Oil Oil profits allowed the NCP to wage its wars in Abyei Abyei production: 2003: 25% of total production 2009: 1% of total production The process of border formation problematised the presence of oil in Abyei and vice versa

24. Conflicting Interests and Perceptions Dinka and Misseriya Leaders • Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005) • - Abyei as an intense theatre of conflict Isolation and Marginalization of both groups Threatened livelihoods Manipulation Formation of national identities National stakes

25. Hardened Identity Divide • Identities defined in opposition • Instrumentalisation of Identities • Soft Boundaries  Hard Borders

26. International Diplomatic Efforts Bashir and IGAD • Comprehensive Peace Agreement • Abyei Protocol • Referendum • Boundary demarcation • International Boundary demarcation • Abyei Boundary Commission 2005 • Permanent Court of Arbitration 2009

27. International Border Demarcation Oil fields removed by PCA ruling PCA - 22 July 2009

28. Limits of External Mediation ‘Troika’: US Norway UK Perceptions of bias Has external diplomatic intervention in Abyei exacerbated the conflict? Is the current conflict just on big ‘tragic misunderstanding?’

29. Citizenship and Sovereignty Voter Ballot in January’s Referendum on Southern Secession “the border conflict is fundamentally a conflict over who is a citizen, who should have a vote and who should organize the election in the first place” (Anderson and Hamilton 1999)

30. Citizenship and Sovereignty • Citizenship means • Political and economic rights • Identity ascription • How to determine citizenship? • Land rights vs. identity • Dual citizenship • Limited Rights

31. Conclusion “The (ABC) decision should have no practical effect on the traditional grazing patterns of the two communities as those patterns were followed for many years until they were disrupted by armed conflict” Abyei Boundary Commission Report, 14 July 2005

32. Conclusion - Borderland framework is useful in explaining the conflict in Abyei - Important factors: • Colonial Legacy • Development Policies • Civil Wars • Resources • International Intervention • Border formation transformed the conflict in nature and scale.

33. What’s It All Worth? Falling on the right side of the border =Pride, Dignity and Power