25/11/2025
Abyei and the Silence of Francis Mading Deng:
A Question the Community Can No Longer Avoid.
Written By Francis Yell.
Date November 24, 2025.
Today I am writing about Abyei and the Silence of Dr. Francis Mading Deng: a PhD holder. A Question of the Community Can No Longer Avoid For decades, the people of Abyei have endured displacement, border conflict, insecurity, and political uncertainty. Their land remains one of the most contested territories between Sudan and South Sudan. Yet one question continues to echo through Ngok Dinka communities at home and across the Diaspora:
Why has Dr. Francis Mading Deng — one of Abyei’s most accomplished sons remained so silent about the suffering of his own people?
This question, though heavy and uncomfortable, is increasingly being asked by young and old alike.
Dr. Francis Mading Deng is not an ordinary man. He is a PhD scholar, author, diplomat, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Human Rights, and one of the most internationally respected South Sudanese intellectuals of our time.
His books explore identity, displacement, conflict, and nationhood issues deeply connected to Abyei’s tragedy.
Yet he has never publicly written or spoken at length about Abyei itself.
This silence remains one of the most painful mysteries in the story of the Ngok Dinka.
A Scholar of Identity, But Silent on His Homeland
Many in Abyei struggle to understand how a man who dedicated his life to studying African identity, cultural conflict, and human rights violations can avoid the subject of his own people’s suffering.
During his time at the United Nations, when he had a global platform to highlight humanitarian crises, many expected him to speak on: The killings in Abyei and the displacement of Ngok families. The stalled referendum of The political marginalization of the region and the human rights violations committed there
But no major public statements came.
No books.
No speeches.
No advocacy that the community could point to.
For many, this silence has felt like neglect — not only intellectual neglect, but emotional neglect from someone they once looked to for leadership.
A Personal Question with a Deep Meaning:
“I have been questioning myself about Francis Mading — why he has been quiet about Abyei and South Sudan?”
This is not just your question.
It has become a collective question asked by many Ngok sons and daughters.
People ask:
• Is he choosing neutrality?
• Is he avoiding political controversy?
• Does he fear being misunderstood?
• Or does he believe silence is the safest diplomacy?
None of these questions have been answered publicly.
The Day at the Sudanese Embassy
“One day I went to the Sudanese Embassy in Canada for a meeting.
I saw his picture on the wall.”
Seeing Francis Mading Deng’s photograph displayed in a Sudanese government building a government long involved in Abyei’s suffering raises a symbolic and emotional question:
How does a son of Abyei become celebrated in the very institutions that have historically denied Abyei’s rights?
For many, this image represents the deep complexity of his career, his diplomacy, and his silence.
Yet it also deepens the community’s concern:
If Khartoum proudly presents his image, does that affect his willingness to speak about Abyei?
We do not know the answer.
But the question is valid.
The Frustration Among Abyei Youth and Intellectuals
Many young people from Abyei feel abandoned by their intellectuals, writers, and elders not only Francis Mading Deng.
“Especially Dinka sections, they are always quiet about Abyei.”
This is a growing criticism within the community:
• That educated Ngok do not raise their voices.
• Those prominent leaders avoid the subject.
• That Abyei’s suffering has been left to ordinary people, not to its elite.
Whether this criticism is fair or not, the feeling is very real.
Possible Reasons behind His Silence (Without Accusation)
While Dr. Deng has never personally explained his silence, analysts point to several possible reasons:
1. UN Diplomatic Restrictions
As an international civil servant, he may have been prohibited from taking political positions on Sudan–South Sudan disputes.
2. Private Diplomacy
He may believe in working behind the scenes rather than public advocacy.
3. Desire to Remain Neutral
Speaking openly could have damaged his relationships with both Juba and Khartoum.
4. Personal Pain or Conflict
Sometimes the closest subjects are the hardest to speak about.
These are possibilities not facts.
But they show that the issue is more complex than simple neglect.
Abyei Still Waits for His Voice
Abyei’s pain continues:
• Communities remain displaced
• Families live between two countries
• The referendum is unresolved
• Insecurity continues
• Land remains contested
In such a moment, many wonder:
If not now, then when will Francis Mading Deng speak for Abyei?
No one is asking him to fight with weapons.
They are asking for his words, his voice, his influence — the things he has built his life upon.
A Community Searching for Answers
Today, as writers, activists, and researchers reflect on Abyei’s history, this question becomes unavoidable:
Why has the most educated son of Abyei not been the loudest defender of Abyei?
And perhaps an even deeper question:
Do the sons and daughters of Abyei carry a cultural silence inherited from their elders a silence that has cost the community dearly?
These questions are painful, but necessary.
Conclusion
This article is not written to disrespect Francis Mading Deng.
He is a giant of African scholarship and diplomacy.
But great influence carries great responsibility — especially to one’s homeland.
Abyei has suffered enough.
It deserves every voice it can get.
And whether through writing, speaking, or engaging with the community, the people still hope that one day Dr. Deng — and many others — will rise to defend the land that gave them identity and purpose.
Until that day, the questions remain.
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About the Author:
Francis Yell is a South Sudanese- Canadian writer, political commentator, and advocate at the African Unity Centre. He is passionate about African unity, governance reform, and educating his community about democracy and economic empowerment. He can be reach by: Email: [email protected]
