Abyei (town)
title: "Abyei (town)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-south-kordofan", "populated-places-in-south-sudan", "2011-in-sudan", "2011-in-south-sudan", "bahr-el-ghazal"] topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-south-kordofan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abyei_(town)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| official_name | Abyei |
| native_name | أبيي |
| image_skyline | Sudan Envoy - Abyei.jpg |
| image_caption | View of Abyei town, |
| with traditional dwellings (2009) | |
| pushpin_map | Sudan#South Sudan |
| pushpin_label_position | top |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location relative to the Sudan and South Sudan. |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | South Sudan |
| Sudan | |
| subdivision_type1 | Administrative area |
| subdivision_name1 | Abyei Area |
| unit_pref | Imperial |
| population_blank1_title | Ngok Dinka |
| population_blank2_title | Religions |
| utc_offset | +2 |
| coordinates | |
| elevation_m | 400 |
| :: |
| official_name = Abyei | other_name = | native_name = أبيي | nickname = | settlement_type = | motto = | image_skyline = Sudan Envoy - Abyei.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = View of Abyei town, with traditional dwellings (2009) | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | image_blank_emblem = | blank_emblem_type = | blank_emblem_size = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | image_map1 = | mapsize1 = | map_caption1 = | image_dot_map = | dot_mapsize = | dot_map_caption = | dot_x = | dot_y = | pushpin_map = Sudan#South Sudan | pushpin_label_position = top | pushpin_map_caption = Location relative to the Sudan and South Sudan. | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = South Sudan Sudan | subdivision_type1 = Administrative area | subdivision_name1 = Abyei Area | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | established_title = | established_date = | established_title2 = | established_date2 = | established_title3 = | established_date3 = | area_magnitude = | unit_pref = Imperial | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_total_sq_mi = | area_land_sq_mi = | area_water_sq_mi = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_urban_sq_mi = | area_metro_km2 = | area_metro_sq_mi = | area_blank1_title = | area_blank1_km2 = | area_blank1_sq_mi = | population_as_of = | population_footnotes = | population_note = | population_total = | population_density_km2 = | population_density_sq_mi = | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_density_metro_sq_mi = | population_urban = | population_density_urban_km2 = | population_density_urban_sq_mi = | population_blank1_title = Ngok Dinka | population_blank1 = | population_blank2_title = Religions | population_blank2 = | population_density_blank1_km2 = | population_density_blank1_sq_mi = | timezone = | utc_offset = +2 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | coordinates = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 400 | elevation_ft = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code = | blank_name = | blank_info = | blank1_name = | blank1_info = | website = | footnotes =
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Sudan_Envoy_-_Abyei_from_Above.jpg" caption="Aerial view of Abyei town and environs, in 2009"] ::
Abyei (also spelled Abyēy; ) is a border town currently in the Abyei Area that is disputed by South Sudan and Sudan. The United Nations estimated the town's population at around 20,000 previous to May 2011 events.
The oil-producing and fertile Abyei Area, with Abyei town as its center, is a disputed territorial point of contention in the July 2011 secession of South Sudan process.
History
2008 conflict
Abyei town was almost completely destroyed in May 2008 when tensions escalated between the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) after the Government of South Sudan appointed an administrator for the region, a move the Messiria objected to.
2009
Some 50,000 of Abyei Town's mostly Dinka inhabitants fled southwards, to Agok in present South Sudan. Since the signing of the roadmap for the return of the displaced and the implementation of the Abyei Protocol in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, much of the town was rebuilt by mid-2009.
2011
Abyei referendum
Main article: Abyei status referendum
Whether Abyei Area and town would remain part of the South Kordofan region of northern Sudan or become part of the Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan (Republic of South Sudan) was to be decided by a local referendum in 2011. Disagreements over the process, and the recent violent takeover, raised questions whether a vote will be held.
Takeover
The northern Sudan military succeeded in their forceful takeover of Abyei Area and town on 21 May 2011. A week after the takeover, satellite images show that the northern Sudan army burned and razed about one-third of all civilian buildings in the town during the violence. Tens of thousands of Abyei Area civilians, including up to 35,000 children, have been internally displaced by the northern takeover. The satellite image evidence, supporting a claim of state-sponsored ethnic cleansing of much of the contested Abyei town and region, is being submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Security Council for assessment.
Climate
Abyei has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh) bordering a tropical savanna climate (Aw) under the Köppen climate classification.
|metric first=yes |single line=yes |location=Abyei (town) |Jan high C=34.9 |Feb high C=36.3 |Mar high C=38.4 |Apr high C=38.8 |May high C=36.8 |Jun high C=34.1 |Jul high C=31.7 |Aug high C=31.2 |Sep high C=32.3 |Oct high C=33.9 |Nov high C=34.9 |Dec high C=34.6
|Jan mean C=25.9 |Feb mean C=27.5 |Mar mean C=29.9 |Apr mean C=30.8 |May mean C=30 |Jun mean C=28.3 |Jul mean C=26.7 |Aug mean C=26.2 |Sep mean C=26.8 |Oct mean C=27.4 |Nov mean C=27.1 |Dec mean C=26
|Jan low C=17 |Feb low C=18.7 |Mar low C=21.5 |Apr low C=22.8 |May low C=23.3 |Jun low C=22.5 |Jul low C=21.8 |Aug low C=21.3 |Sep low C=21.4 |Oct low C=21 |Nov low C=19.4 |Dec low C=17.4
|Jan precipitation mm=0 |Feb precipitation mm=0 |Mar precipitation mm=3 |Apr precipitation mm=17 |May precipitation mm=72 |Jun precipitation mm=124 |Jul precipitation mm=163 |Aug precipitation mm=185 |Sep precipitation mm=141 |Oct precipitation mm=58 |Nov precipitation mm=2 |Dec precipitation mm=0
|source 1=Climate-Data.org
References
References
- [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-abyei-north-idUSTRE74L14L20110522 Reuters; 05.22.2011; "North Sudan seizes disputed Abyei, thousands flee"] . accessed 5.30.2011
- United Nations Development Programme - Sudan [http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/publisher,IRIN,,SDN,4836929a9,0.html UNHCR; 21 May 2008; "Sudan: Fighting could hamper Abyei aid operation"] {{webarchive. link. (8 October 2012 Retrieved 24 July 2009.)
- United Nations Development Programme - Sudan [http://mirror.undp.org/sudan/projects/cp5.htm UNHCR; July 2009; "Recovery of Abyei Area through Good Governance and Poverty Reduction"] {{webarchive. link. (July 24, 2011 Retrieved 24 July 2009.)
- [http://www.afriquejet.com/news/africa-news/sudan-referendum:-abyei---one-tiny-issue-yet-unresolved-2011011967952.html Aafriquejet; 01.19.2011 "Abyei referendum issue unresolved" ]{{dead link. (June 2017)
- [http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/05/201153012613817595.html Al Jazeera English; 30 May 2011; "US group says Sudan army committed war crimes"] . accessed 05.30.2011
- "Climate: Abyei - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org.
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