Abyei

Mr. Carson said the seizure of Abyei could threaten what he called a road map for normal relations between the United States and Sudan.

The south said the capture of Abyei was an act of war.

Supported by tanks and aircraft, northern Sudanese troops recently overran the border town of Abyei, burning down parts of it.

The charred remains of John's former home are virtually opposite the front entrance to the UN military base in Abyei.

With tension high in Abyei, and with both sides pouring weapons and soldiers into the area, the smallest incident could lead to a wider war.

The attack, which the UN has called unprovoked, took place in the Abyei region, which is being claimed by both sides.

Abyei, a sparsely populated region that straddles Sudan's north-south border, has long been at the center of a series of violent disputes.

Under the peace deal of 2005, Abyei was supposed to have its own referendum to decide which side its mainly Christian residents will join.

Under the CPA, Abyei was supposed to hold a referendum to determine whether it remained with the north or joined an independent south.

An international boundary commission determined that Abyei belongs to the south. But Khartoum has refused to recognize the findings.

Sudan's military announced the appointment of a head of military control to manage the Abyei region.

The army of southern Sudan said northern troops had entered Abyei with tanks and that fighting was continuing.

He expressed President Obama's deep concern over the continued presence of Sudanese forces in Abyei.

Troops from northern Sudan say they've taken control of the disputed town of Abyei on the border with southern Sudan.

Gration admitted there were many challenges for the referendum process, in particular in the oil-rich Abyei region.

This year's migrations south have already started, and, especially after the torching of Abyei, everyone is preparing for more trouble.

A recent agreement between north and south to put 4, 200 Ethiopian peacekeepers in the disputed region of Abyei may hold.

Troops from the northern army attacked Abyei after three days of clashes and artillery bombardments.

Yet the biggest issue to watch is Abyei, an oily strip of land straddling the north-south border and abutting Darfur.

Both sides accuse the other of supporting rebels on their territory and claim the disputed region of Abyei.

In recent days, the town of Abyei by repeated insurgent attacks, more than 100 people dead, tens of thousands forced to flee.

but the north has rejected the rulings of a border commission in the oil-rich Abyei region, fearing that too much land will go to the south.

The story of Abyei is stark proof that the underlying causes of north-south conflict in Sudan have not changed.

Last month northern forces seized most of Abyei, an area rich in oil fields in the central part of Sudan.

Abyei, which sits on rich oil fields straddling the north-south border, is claimed by both sides.

Abyei will have a separate referendum on which country to join, also on January 9th.

The Council urges the parties in Sudan to calm rising tensions and to reach agreement on Abyei.

He also called for both sides to implement their June 20 agreement on Abyei and urged a cease-fire in Southern Kordofan.

The market there has been nicknamed "Abyei" after the plentiful supply of goods on sale from the looted town.

This is a startling development following months of arguments and just two days before the UN Security Council was due to visit Abyei.

And armed conflict may erupt, whatever happens in Abyei.

Based on early reports, Abyei's former chief administrator said about one hundred civilians were killed.

North Sudanese troops occupied the disputed town of Abyei along the border with the south, causing 40, 000 people to flee.

It also suggested a new joint administration for Abyei.

Photo shows the village houses were burned in the town of Abyei in central Sudan (Abyei) nearby.

However the issue of Abyei, along with other critical issues such as border demarcation and oil revenue-sharing remain unresolved.

Oil-rich Abyei is coveted by both the north and the south.

The medical charity MSF said some 20, 000 people had fled following the clashes in Abyei.

Not many of Sudan's oilfields are disputed, as in Abyei.

The mood is particularly tense in Abyei, an area the south thinks it can win over in elections due in 2009.

Nor could the leaders agree on the final status of Abyei, the chunk of land that straddles an oil-rich bit of the border

North-South Tensions Rising Again in Sudan's Abyei Region