30/08/2026
SPEECH by: Hon. Deng Arop Mading
Your Excellency General Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan;
Your Excellency Taban Deng G*i, Vice President in charge of the Infrastructure Cluster;
Right Honourable Joseph Pachiako Lual, Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly;
Honourable & General Pieng Deng Kuol, Minister of East African Community Affairs;
Your Excellency Charles Abyei, Chief Administrator of the Abyei Special Administrative Area;
Honourable leaders, Members of Parliament, traditional and religious leaders,
Representatives of the people of Abyei, women and youth, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
The protocol having been observed, allow me to proceed.
Your Excellencies, distinguished guests,
I came here today prepared and honoured to share these remarks with you. Due to the seating and programme arrangements, I was unfortunately not given the opportunity to deliver my speech from the floor. However, the message I prepared is too important to leave unspoken.
So, with great respect, I would like to share the words I came prepared to deliver.
I stand before you today not simply to speak about Abyei as a disputed territory, but about Abyei as a people, a homeland, a history, and a future.
For generations, the people of Abyei have lived with uncertainty. The question of Abyei has passed through negotiations, agreements, political transitions, temporary arrangements and repeated promises.
We have talked about Abyei many times.
But today, we must ask ourselves a simple and difficult question:
WHEN WILL ABYEI FINALLY HAVE a LASTING and CLEARLY DETERMINED FINAL STATUS?
We must have the courage to ask this question not to reopen old wounds, not to create division, and not to undermine dialogue, but because the people of Abyei deserve a future beyond permanent uncertainty.
ABYEI CANNOT REMAIN an UNRESOLVED QUESTIONS FOREVER.
Temporary arrangements may preserve peace for a period of time, but they cannot become a permanent substitute for a political solution.
Dialogue is necessary.
Negotiation is necessary.
Compromise is necessary.
But ultimately, dialogue must lead to direction, and direction must lead to resolution.
Our goal must therefore be a peaceful, legitimate, inclusive and sustainable final-status solution.
THE PEOPLE OF ABYEI MUST BE HEARD
Any serious discussion about the future of Abyei must begin with the people of Abyei themselves.
Abyei is not simply a boundary on a map.
IT IS HOME.
It is families, communities, ancestral land, culture, traditions, livelihoods, memories and generations whose lives are connected to that land.
Therefore, the people whose future is being discussed cannot be spectators in the process that determines that future.
Their voices must matter.
In 2013, an Abyei community referendum was conducted, with its organizers reporting an overwhelming 99.9% vote in favour of Abyei joining South Sudan.
Whether one agrees with every aspect of that process or not, that event remains part of the political history and expressed aspirations surrounding Abyei.
It should not simply be erased from the conversation.
It should be acknowledged as an important reference point when we renew our efforts to address the final status of Abyei.
The principle is straightforward:
Those whose future is at stake must have a meaningful voice in determining that future.
From Managing Abyei to Resolving Abyei
For too long, political and international efforts have focused primarily on managing the consequences of the Abyei dispute.
Managing a problem is not the same as solving it.
WE MUST NOW MOVE:
From stagnation to movement.
From uncertainty to clarity.
From temporary arrangements to a lasting solution.
From speaking about Abyei to listening to Abyei.
This does not mean ignoring the concerns of Sudan, South Sudan, or neighbouring communities.
A sustainable solution must recognize legitimate interests, protect civilians, guarantee security, and create an environment where communities can coexist peacefully.
But recognizing different interests must not become an excuse for permanent deadlock.
Peace requires compromise. Resolution requires courage.
And leadership is tested most when the issue before us is difficult.
THE ABYEI GENERAL CONFERENCE: A NEW POLITICAL SPACE;
If we are serious about changing the direction of Abyei, then perhaps we need to create a new political space where all relevant voices can come together.
That is why I believe the idea of an Abyei General Conference deserves serious consideration.
This should not be another gathering where familiar positions are repeated, statements are issued, photographs are taken, and everyone returns home waiting for another meeting.
IT MUST BE DIFFERENT.
It should be a platform for new thinking, genuine consultation, community participation and political direction.
Such a conference could bring together representatives of the Abyei community, traditional l
