This article focuses on examining entangled factors that complicate the claim over Abyei and have therebyhindered any peaceful settlement of the dispute on the county. Many works of literature that presented the confl...This article focuses on examining entangled factors that complicate the claim over Abyei and have therebyhindered any peaceful settlement of the dispute on the county. Many works of literature that presented the conflictin Abyei as natural resource conflict or identity-driven within a broader picture of conflicts in Sudan are factuallyflawed and poorly explained the nature and causes of the conflict. This paper contends that multiplicity of factorshas reinforced each other, thus these factors in unison created a stalemate and continuing claim over Abyei. Inexamining these interwoven factors, the paper employed a qualitative approach to conduct the study. Both primaryand secondary data sources were used adequately. Various academic pieces of literature, researches, and conferencereports have been used as secondary data sources. Key informant interviews were used to gather primary data totest secondary sources. Hence, the study comes up with three basic findings. First, claim over Abyei has beensustained by the elites’ manipulation of identity for their political and economic goals that hinder peacefulco-existence among communities in Abyei. Second, the competition over resources chiefly oil and locally, pastureand water complicated already fragile and tense relation by alluring national actors that even more protractedconflict on the ground to control these resources. Finally, the double standard in U.S. policy towards Abyei, by andlarge, helps Khartoum to continue its obstruction tactics to maintain the status quo.展开更多
文摘This article focuses on examining entangled factors that complicate the claim over Abyei and have therebyhindered any peaceful settlement of the dispute on the county. Many works of literature that presented the conflictin Abyei as natural resource conflict or identity-driven within a broader picture of conflicts in Sudan are factuallyflawed and poorly explained the nature and causes of the conflict. This paper contends that multiplicity of factorshas reinforced each other, thus these factors in unison created a stalemate and continuing claim over Abyei. Inexamining these interwoven factors, the paper employed a qualitative approach to conduct the study. Both primaryand secondary data sources were used adequately. Various academic pieces of literature, researches, and conferencereports have been used as secondary data sources. Key informant interviews were used to gather primary data totest secondary sources. Hence, the study comes up with three basic findings. First, claim over Abyei has beensustained by the elites’ manipulation of identity for their political and economic goals that hinder peacefulco-existence among communities in Abyei. Second, the competition over resources chiefly oil and locally, pastureand water complicated already fragile and tense relation by alluring national actors that even more protractedconflict on the ground to control these resources. Finally, the double standard in U.S. policy towards Abyei, by andlarge, helps Khartoum to continue its obstruction tactics to maintain the status quo.
