Abyei

Abyei is a minor disputed area located geographically and politically in Azania. Both Nubia and the Nile Republic lay claim to the area, which is currently under Nubian administration. Abyei is a small patch of land stradling the western border of Nubia and the Nile Republic. It currently has only 1 settlement, Abyei Town, and had a population of 163,992 in 2022. It is mostly inhabited by Jieng people.

Nubian Claim
Back in the colonial period of Nubian history between 1896 and 1956, the area that is now Abyei was placed under the direct administration of the Kordofan State government. Even after independence, Abyei was administered under the West Kordofan State. During the brief 2005-2006 period of violence between the government and the NPFF, the area that is Abyei was under NPFF control. After the war, Nubia however chose to keep the area, “liberating” it from the Nile Republic in 2011.

Nilote Claim
Abyei is populated primarily by Jieng people, the largest group in the area and the Nile Republic. The area was originally part of a series of Jieng kingdoms before it was occupied by the Ottoman-controlled Nubia in the 1800’s. After Nubia’s 1954 independence, the area was still under their control, though this changed in 1974, when the NPFF occupied it, along with the Heglig Oil field. The area was supposed to receive a status referendum on 2011, which was ultimately scrapped.