Ngok Dinka, Misseriya leaders vow to pursue peace in disputed Abyei
March 11, 2025 (ABYEI) – Traditional leaders from the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities in the disputed Abyei region pledged to work together for peace despite concerns that the ongoing conflict in Sudan could escalate tensions.
The leaders, representing the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms and the Misseriya, made the commitment after an 11-day training session held in Todach, north of Abyei town, from February 16 to 26.
The training was jointly organized by the Community Liaison Office of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and Concordis International, a non-profit organization focused on conflict resolution.
The sessions included women, youth, trade unionists, and other stakeholders and aimed to identify solutions to the root causes of conflict. Independent facilitators with expertise in law, conflict mitigation, and peacebuilding led the discussions.
Nimeiry Bakthan, a Misseriya leader, described the training as an “eye-opening opportunity” to focus on common ground rather than divisions.
“We are not talking about the land issue because there is politics in it. We are talking about peaceful coexistence,” Bakthan said. “How the communities live together so that they continue to interact and work together. This is what is important.”
He praised the work of Stephen Mayuen Mou, Concordis International’s project manager in Abyei, for his consistent advocacy for peaceful coexistence, even amid security concerns and mistrust.
Mou commended the role of traditional leadership in fostering peace and social cohesion. He highlighted the importance of traditional and indigenous systems as governing institutions that predate colonial rule.
“Tribal authorities are recognized as the custodians of culture and values respected by tribes and clans,” Mou said. He emphasized their role in recognizing human needs, rights, service delivery, and development efforts.
Agal Chol Manyiel, deputy paramount chief of the Ngok Dinka, described his community as peaceful and highlighted historical relations with neighbouring communities.
“Nobody chose to be a neighbour with the other…It is a design of God, and we should embrace it,” Manyiel said.
He acknowledged the need for both sides to strengthen relations and maintain peace but also asserted Ngok Dinka’s land rights. “They should know that the land belongs where these resources [water and pasture] are found…This area is the area of the Nine Ngok Dinka.”
Abyei’s status remains contested between Sudan and South Sudan, a long-standing source of tension between the Ngok Dinka and the Misseriya, who traditionally migrate through the area with their cattle.