About the Administration

About Abyei

A closer look at the governance structure, history, and leadership that serve the people of the Abyei Special Administrative Area (A.S.A.A.).

Purpose

Mission & Vision

Vision: A stable and prosperous Administrative Area, with a final status resolved, that advances human development across all indicators.

Mission: To provide accountable, transparent, and all-inclusive governance that ensures service delivery and the equitable sharing of resources, empowers communities, and promotes peaceful co-existence among the people of Abyei and with neighboring communities, within the Republic of South Sudan.

  • Inclusivity
  • Transparency
  • Accountability
  • Professionalism
  • Resilience
  • Collaboration
  • Commitment
Governance

Administrative Structure

In March 2015, the President of the Republic of South Sudan, H.E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, issued an order establishing the Abyei Special Administrative Area within the Republic and appointing its first Chief Administrator. Every Chief Administrator and Council of Ministers since has been appointed from Juba to lead the Area's day-to-day governance — civil registration, security coordination, land management, and public services — on behalf of the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms, working alongside their traditional leadership at the community level.

Administrative offices in Abyei Town
Historical view of the Abyei region
Background

History of Abyei

In 1905, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium authorities administratively transferred the area of the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms from Bahr el Ghazal province to Kordofan province — a decision made without consulting the Ngok Dinka population and one that continues to shape the region's contested status today. The Ngok Dinka nonetheless fought alongside the South during Sudan's civil wars, while remaining administratively tied to the North.

The 2004 Protocol on the Resolution of the Abyei Conflict, agreed at Naivasha and folded into the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, granted Abyei special administrative status under the national Presidency and called for an Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC) to demarcate the 1905 transfer area. After the 2008 destruction of Abyei town, the parties submitted the boundary dispute to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which issued a Final Award on 22 July 2009 narrowing the Area's boundaries and placing most contested oilfields outside it.

A referendum on Abyei's status — originally planned alongside South Sudan's 2011 independence referendum — did not take place as scheduled. In October 2013, Ngok Dinka leaders and chiefs organized a community referendum in which residents voted overwhelmingly to be part of the Republic of South Sudan. Following South Sudan's independence, the Republic formally established the Abyei Special Administrative Area in March 2015 by presidential order, continuing the Chief Administrator lineage first appointed from Juba in 2008 and affirming the Administration's mandate to govern and serve the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms.

UNISFA has supported demilitarization and civilian protection in the Area since June 2011. Today's Administration continues that work on the ground — focused on delivering services, strengthening institutions, and building long-term stability for residents, rather than on the wider diplomatic questions still being negotiated between Khartoum and Juba.

The Complete Record

From the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to Today

A chronological account of the milestones that shaped Abyei's path from a colonial-era boundary decision to the Special Administrative Area governing it today.

  1. 1905

    Colonial Transfer to Kordofan

    Anglo-Egyptian Condominium authorities administratively transfer the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms from Bahr el Ghazal province to Kordofan province — a decision made without consulting the Ngok Dinka, and the root of the boundary dispute that follows.

  2. 1972

    Addis Ababa Agreement — A Referendum Promised

    The Agreement ending Sudan's First Civil War defines the Southern Region as including areas "culturally and geographically part of the Southern complex as may be decided by a referendum" — understood to include Abyei. The promised referendum is never held, and the Agreement is abrogated by Khartoum in 1983.

  3. 2004–2005

    Abyei Protocol & the Comprehensive Peace Agreement

    The Protocol on the Resolution of the Abyei Conflict, agreed at Naivasha, grants Abyei special administrative status under the national Presidency and establishes the Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC). It is folded into the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed January 2005, ending the Second Sudanese Civil War.

  4. 2009

    Permanent Court of Arbitration Boundary Ruling

    Following the 2008 destruction of Abyei town, Sudan and the SPLM submit the boundary dispute to binding arbitration in The Hague. The Court's Final Award, issued 22 July 2009, narrows the Area's boundaries and places most contested oilfields outside it.

  5. 2011

    The Unheld Referendum, Crisis, and UNISFA

    A referendum on Abyei's status — planned alongside South Sudan's independence referendum — does not take place, amid unresolved disagreement over Misseriya voter eligibility. Sudanese Armed Forces occupy Abyei town in May 2011, displacing much of the population. UNISFA deploys weeks later under UN Security Council Resolution 1990.

  6. 2013

    A Community-Organized Referendum

    In October 2013, Ngok Dinka leaders and chiefs organize their own community referendum. Residents vote overwhelmingly to be part of the Republic of South Sudan — a result not formally recognized by the African Union or the UN, but decisive within the community itself.

  7. 2015–Present

    Establishment of the Abyei Special Administrative Area

    In March 2015, the President of the Republic of South Sudan, H.E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, issues the order formally establishing the Abyei Special Administrative Area within the Republic, appointing Amb. Dr. Chol Deng Alak as its first Chief Administrator. Successive administrations continue to govern the Area to the present day.

People

Leadership

The Abyei Special Administrative Area is led by a Chief Administrator, a role established by presidential order in March 2015 and supported by a Deputy Chief Administrator, a Council of Ministers, and the traditional leadership of the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms. Meet the current Chief Administrator and Ministers, or reach any department through the Contact page.