Creating Facts on the Ground: Conflict Dynamics in Abyei

This working paper analyses the dynamics of the conflict in Abyei and looks at the implications of these clashes for the Abyei referendum, the demarcation of the territory’s borders, and the North–South peace process more generally. It focuses on the 2011 escalation of the conflict, setting it in the context of historical patterns of violence in the territory. It concerns itself primarily with events through 23 May 2011, focusing in detail on the February–March conflict that set the stage for the SAF invasion.

The paper was originally published by the Small Arms Survey.