Press Release
South Sudan Crosses the Red Lines by Annexing Abyei,
A Feeble Response from the Sudanese Government
(Translated)

The National Elections Commission of South Sudan has approved the administration of the disputed Abyei region as one of the twelve electoral constituencies in Warrap State, out of a total of 102 geographical constituencies for the general elections scheduled for 22 December 2026.

This action by the Government of South Sudan constitutes a dangerous crossing of the red lines—indeed, it amounts to a declaration of war. Such a small state would never have dared to take such a step had it not been confident of the Sudanese government's reaction, which indeed proved to be weak and lackluster, falling far short of the gravity of the situation. The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs merely issued a statement saying:"...The Government of Sudan rejects the Commission's decision, which explicitly violates the Abyei Protocol annexed to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement." The Ministry also stated that the decision violates the security arrangements and the temporary administrative arrangements for Abyei signed between the two countries in 2011, which paved the way for United Nations Security Council Resolution 2046, calling upon both countries to negotiate without preconditions in order to reach a final settlement.

The Ministry reaffirmed Sudan's commitment to its legal rights as stipulated in the signed protocols and agreements, while emphasizing its commitment to maintaining good-neighborly relations. It also called upon the United Nations, international and regional organizations, and the friendly and sisterly states that sponsored the Abyei protocols and agreements to work toward implementing what had been agreed upon and to reject any unilateral actions taken outside the legal framework.

It is not surprising that the Government of Sudan—which is merely an extension of the previous government that oversaw the separation of South Sudan—has adopted such a disgraceful and humiliating position, one entirely unbefitting of what they claim is a sovereign state. Such a weak response will do nothing to deter South Sudan from proceeding with its plan to annex Abyei.

The minimum response that ought to be taken would be to threaten the cancellation of all agreements with South Sudan, including the ill-fated Naivasha Agreement, and to regard South Sudan once again as an integral part of Sudan—which is the natural state of affairs.

[وَإِمَّا تَخَافَنَّ مِن قَوْمٍ خِيَانَةً فَانبِذْ إِلَيْهِمْ عَلَىٰ سَوَاءٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْخَائِنِينَ]

“If you [have reason to] fear from a people betrayal, throw [their treaty] back to them, [putting you] on equal terms. Indeed, Allah does not like traitors.” [Al-Anfal:58].

The Khilafah (Caliphate) State, which will return soon by the permission of Allah, will restore the South to the embrace of its mother, Sudan. Indeed, it will unite Sudan with the rest of the Muslim lands so that the Khilafah will become the foremost state in the world, carrying light and good, and bringing humankind out of the darkness of capitalism and other man-made systems into the justice and mercy of Islam. Indeed, this is near by the permission of Allah. The night of the Muslims—and indeed of the entire world—has grown long, and the dawn must inevitably break. [لِمِثْلِ هَٰذَا فَلْيَعْمَلِ الْعَامِلُونَ] “For the like of this let the workers [on earth] work.” [As-Saffat:61].

Ibrahim Othman (Abu Khalil)
Official Spokesman of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Sudan