These pages contain archive versions of documents on the Border/Disputed Areas.
Almost two years after South Sudan became Africa’s newest nation-state, its border with Sudan is neither delimited nor demarcated. While a series of agreements were signed in Addis Ababa on 27 September 2012, the status of the contested areas of the border and the explosive question of Abyei were left unresolved. At issue for both states are oil reserves in the border region, as well as some of the most fertile land in the two countries. The border region also contains crucial grazing areas for transhumant and pastoralist groups, which traditionally agreed flexible grazing arrangements between themselves long before discussions began about a national border dividing their territory.
At issue for both states are oil reserves in the border region, as well as some of the most fertile land in the two countries. The border region also contains crucial grazing areas for transhumant and pastoralist groups, which traditionally agreed flexible grazing arrangements between themselves long before discussions began about a national border dividing their territory.
While there has been no agreement on the border’s location, the border region was the site of a series of clashes in the first half of 2012, before the rainy season. In March and April, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) took Hejlij from the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), to widespread international condemnation. The SPLA said the assault was prompted by a series of SAF attacks on South Sudanese positions along the border, notably at Kiir Adem between Northern Bahr el Ghazal and East Darfur, and in Unity state. Fighting continued throughout 2012, with SAF repeatedly bombing SPLA positions along the frontier, especially in the Northern Bahr el Ghazal–East Darfur region. While the clashes indicate a deteriorating relationship between the two countries, the conflict is also a continuation of strategies seen at the negotiating table: both sides attempt to press home a military advantage that can then be used as a basis for subsequent negotiations.