Sudan and South Sudan clashed diplomatically at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday over Juba's plans to include the disputed Abyei region in its December 2026 general elections, The Eastleigh Voice reported. Khartoum warns the move violates bilateral agreements and threatens the territory's unresolved legal status.

Source: The Eastleigh Voice, Nov 6

Abyei was before the Council only a day earlier for a very different reason — the UN peacekeeping chief briefed members on the territory's first drone strikes as the UNISFA mandate decision nears. Thursday's clash was about ballots, not strikes. Read: Abyei drone strikes reach the Security Council

Speaking at the Council meeting in New York, Sudan's representative to the UN, Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed, said his government remained committed to advancing the political process on Abyei, which he said had received attention at the highest levels of the Sudanese state, The Eastleigh Voice reported. He expressed concern over South Sudan's decision to include Abyei in its electoral constituencies, describing it as a violation of agreements signed between the two countries and an attempt to undermine the territory's existing legal status.

Source: The Eastleigh Voice, Nov 6

South Sudan's representative to the UN, Sabino Edward Nyawella Amaikwey, defended his country's position, saying the electoral question should be considered in the context of Abyei's unresolved final status, The Eastleigh Voice reported. "Until that status is determined through the agreed process, the rights and interests of the Ngok Dinka, particularly the nine Ngok chiefdoms, cannot be disregarded," he told the Council.

Source: The Eastleigh Voice, Nov 6

The positions are not new, but Thursday put them on the Council record. Sudan formally rejected the election decision in a statement issued on July 13, while South Sudan reaffirmed its intention to proceed with the elections four days later, The Eastleigh Voice reported. South Sudan plans to hold its first general elections since gaining independence in 2011 in December 2026.

Source: The Eastleigh Voice, Nov 6

The UN Secretary-General had already warned where this was heading. In a report covering developments between April 16 and October 1, António Guterres warned that South Sudan's intention to include Abyei in its electoral districts could significantly increase political tensions: "The stated intention of the Government of South Sudan to include Abyei in its electoral districts for the December 2026 elections, which the Government of the Sudan considers contrary to signed agreements, is likely to significantly increase political tensions as the elections approach," Guterres said. He also warned that the lack of progress on Abyei's final status and governance arrangements continued to create uncertainty, adding that unilateral actions could undermine efforts to reach a negotiated settlement.

Source: The Eastleigh Voice, Nov 6, reporting the UN Secretary-General's report

A territory still waiting for its referendum

Abyei has remained disputed since South Sudan gained independence in 2011, with the two countries unable to agree on arrangements for determining its final status, The Eastleigh Voice reported. Under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, a referendum was planned to allow residents to decide whether Abyei should become part of Sudan or South Sudan, but the vote has never taken place because the two governments failed to agree on voter eligibility and other arrangements. The territory has a special administrative status, Standard Zone News noted, and the disagreement over elections has added to longstanding differences over its administration, security and political future.

Source: The Eastleigh Voice, Nov 6; Standard Zone News, Nov 6

What happens next

The Security Council has continued to monitor developments in Abyei, with the international community repeatedly calling on South Sudan and Sudan to pursue a peaceful and negotiated solution, Standard Zone News reported. With South Sudan preparing for its December elections, whether Abyei is included in the electoral process remains a significant point of disagreement between the two neighbours — and, on the Secretary-General's own warning, a tension likely to grow as polling day approaches.