Background
As part of the CPA, the Protocol on the Resolution of the conflict in the Abyei Area signed by the two parties to the CPA on the 26 May 2004, accorded Abyei a special administrative status. Administered under the Presidency, the residents of Abyei remain citizens of both Western Kordofan in the North and Bahr el Ghazal in the South with representatives in the legislatures of both states. The resolution further provided for the conduct of the Abyei Referendum simultaneously with the referendum for Southern Sudan on self determination in 2011.

As outlined in chapter IV “The Resolution of the Abyei Conflict”: “Simultaneously with the referendum for southern Sudan, the residents of Abyei will cast a separate ballot. The proposition voted on in the separate ballot will present the residents of Abyei with the following choices, irrespective of the results of the southern referendum:
a. That Abyei retain its special administrative status in the north;
b. That Abyei be part of Bahr el Ghazal.”

The Support to the Abyei Area Referendum Project aims at contributing to the implementation of the Abyei Area Referendum planned for January 2011 for the residents of the Abyei Area to exercise their right to determine their future administrative status. In particular, the project will support the Abyei Area Referendum Commission, Civil Society Organizations and other institutions perform their mandated functions as stipulated in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the Abyei Protocol and Abyei Referendum Act . The foremost activities will include support to mobilization of donor contributions, establishment of a project office, civic/voter education and public information and domestic observers. Of equal focus will be support to domestic observers and liaison of international observers, media training and monitoring, institutional building support to the Abyei Area Referendum Commission and other mandated organizations through provision of logistics, policy and technical guidance. Additionally the project will render assistance to other stakeholders in the referendum process mainly the police, judiciary, women and other special interest groups. The specific results activities are:

1.Support for Voter Information, Voter and Civic Education.
2.Support to the Media.
3.Support to domestic and international observation - Enhance 4.Institutional building support to the Abyei Referendum Commission- 5.Support to Other Stakeholders such as police, judiciary and women.


Expected Outputs
The Overall aim of the project is to ensure organization and implementation of a transparent and credible referendum with the coordinated support of the international community. The key objectives that the project aims to achieve are:
• Supporting the CPA process in a manner to achieve the 2nd milestone of conducting a free and transparent referendum that will determine the status of Abyei Area
• To strengthen civil society, media, judiciary and police in performing their oversight, security functions as per the referendum law

These objectives are to be achieved under the following outputs:

• Output 1: Support for Voter Information, Voter Education and Civic Education - Effective voter education campaign aimed at increasing the knowledge of voters about the referendum process
• Output 2: Support to the Media - Trained media personnel improve reporting quality and media monitoring reports provide information to Referendum Commission
• Output 3: Support to domestic and international observation - Enhanced oversight role of civil society in monitoring the referendum process
• Output 4: Institutional building support to the Abyei Referendum Commission - Strengthened capacity of Referendum Commission to plan for and implement the referendum
• Output 5: Support to Other Stakeholders - Strengthened role of key stakeholders including police, judiciary, lawyers, women, youth and disabled in the referendum process
• Output 6: Project Management Unit - Effective project reporting and operations, fiduciary control and accountability