evidence: The Abyei area is just over 10,000km² in size and sits between Sudan and South Sudan, almost exactly in the middle of the border. Since South Sudan gained independence in 2011, the two countries have long disputed over who controls the territory. One of the reasons for the dispute is that the region possesses oil in the Deffra fields, making it a lucrative area for either side to control. Furthermore, there is a historic ethnic divide between the nomadic Misseriya tribe and the Ngok Dinka tribe. During the country’s civil war that led to partition, members of the Misseriya community fought in pro-Khartoum militias, while the Ngok Dinka community mainly supported southern rebels. As the two countries split, the initial belief was that the Misseriya would favour remaining as part of Sudan, while the Ngok Dinka would be looking to join the then newly formed South Sudan. [...] After 12 years, Abyei is still a disputed territory. This certainly has not been helped by the recent conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It was of little surprise to many Sudanese analysts that the RSF and SAF would jostle for position once Al Bashir had departed as head of state. With the power vacuum that this uncertainty has created, gains that had been made in finding a solution have stalled, with fears that they could then reverse.