By Correspondent

The First Vice President of South Sudan and Chair of the Governance Cluster, Dr. Riek Machar, on Friday met with a delegation from the Abyei Administrative Area, led by Chief Administrator H.E. Dr. Chol Deng Alak, to discuss the Abyei protocol and its final status.

A key focus of the meeting, according to a statement from the First Vice President’s office, was the official handover of the Abyei government’s endorsement report for the Abyei Area community referendum, which took place in October 2013. This referendum addressed the final status of Abyei.

The First Vice President formally received the endorsement report and committed to forwarding it to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. Subsequently, the report will be presented as a memo to the Governance Cluster, the Cabinet, and the National Legislative Assembly for deliberation and endorsement.

The Abyei Administrative Assembly officially endorsed the referendum results on December 27, 2024. This endorsement was made in line with the resolutions of the Governor’s Forum held in Juba in December 2024.

In addition to Dr. Chol Deng Alak, other attendees at the meeting included Hon. Deng Alor Kuol, Minister of East African Community; members from the National Assembly and Council of State; members of the National Committee for the Final Status of Abyei; Speaker of the Abyei Administrative Assembly; other regional government officials; and members of the Ngok-Dinka Community.