The land between

The land between

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A church still bears the scars of a Sudanese airstrike that took place a few years ago in Abyei, a disputed region between Sudan and South Sudan which has seen several clashes between their troops.

At the end of October, the area's permanent residents voted to join South Sudan in a symbolic referendum. The poll risks antagonising Arab nomads who drive their livestock through Abyei and are loyal to Sudan.

. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A women waits to vote in front of a polling station during the unofficial referendum in Abyei, whose fate was left undecided when South Sudan declared independence from Sudan in 2011.

The area remains one of the biggest potential flashpoints between the two Sudans, who have also argued over oil rights and other disputed territories since their split.

The results of the recent poll were not legally binding, and went unrecognised by both countries.

But local leaders said they held the vote because they were tired of waiting for a long-promised official plebiscite on the ownership of the remote region.

. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

The one-sided vote was cast by the Dinka Ngok people, the group to which this young cattle herder belongs.

The Dinka Ngok occupy most of Abyei's permanent settlements and their loyalty to South Sudan was clearly reflected in the referendum results, which showed 99.9 percent of voters in favour of joining the world’s youngest country.

But the pro-Sudan Misseriya nomads who drive their livestock through the region did not take part in the vote and said it had no official worth.

. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

Despite the lack of government recognition for the referendum, voters still joyously celebrated the results.

This month Abyei town became a makeshift tent city as tens of thousands of Dinka Ngok returned to make their home, some from as far as Australia.

A festival mood took over Abyei, where in May 2008 and May 2011 Sudan Armed Forced attacked and seized the town forcing more than 100,000 people to flee.

Locals in traditional dress celebrated with singing and dancing and a cow was slaughtered and divided up between the nine Dinka Ngok chiefdoms in a party expected to go all night.

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Slideshow

A United Nations helicopter flies over Abyei town, located in the disputed region of the same name. The United Nations has deployed a 5,000-strong, mainly Ethiopian peacekeeping force to monitor tensions between the nomads and residents in the area.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A United Nations helicopter flies over Abyei town, located in the disputed region of the same name. The United Nations has deployed a 5,000-strong, mainly Ethiopian peacekeeping force to monitor tensions between the nomads and residents in the area.

A woman waves to people arriving in Abyei town ahead of the referendum.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A woman waves to people arriving in Abyei town ahead of the referendum.

People sit in an abandoned house near a polling station that was set up in a school.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

People sit in an abandoned house near a polling station that was set up in a school.

A woman dries laundry as she stands in an abandoned building in Abyei town.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A woman dries laundry as she stands in an abandoned building in Abyei town.

Another woman prepares tea at a stall near a polling station.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

Another woman prepares tea at a stall near a polling station.

A Dinka Ngok cattle herder walks through a cattle camp in the Abyei region.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A Dinka Ngok cattle herder walks through a cattle camp in the Abyei region.

Another Dinka Ngok herder strides through the camp.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

Another Dinka Ngok herder strides through the camp.

Wrapped in a cloak, a man from the community stands surrounded by livestock.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

Wrapped in a cloak, a man from the community stands surrounded by livestock.

A young Dinka Ngok herder strides past cattle.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A young Dinka Ngok herder strides past cattle.

A man from the group washes his hands in bull urine.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A man from the group washes his hands in bull urine.

A woman prepares food in a cattle herders' camp near the town of Abyei.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A woman prepares food in a cattle herders' camp near the town of Abyei.

A man folds his mosquito net near a polling station during the disputed referendum.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A man folds his mosquito net near a polling station during the disputed referendum.

A boy washes his face as a woman sits inside a mosquito tent near a voting station.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A boy washes his face as a woman sits inside a mosquito tent near a voting station.

A woman sits underneath the blue gauze of a mosquito net.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Andreea Campeanu

A woman sits underneath the blue gauze of a mosquito net.

Women queue to cast their ballots at a polling station.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

Women queue to cast their ballots at a polling station.

Two women wait to vote.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

Two women wait to vote.

An elderly woman stands inside a polling station.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

An elderly woman stands inside a polling station.

A woman hunches over to vote.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A woman hunches over to vote.

A woman casts her ballot.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A woman casts her ballot.

An elderly man walks out of a polling station set up in a school.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

An elderly man walks out of a polling station set up in a school.

A young man dances as he celebrates the unofficial referendum results.
. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

A young man dances as he celebrates the unofficial referendum results.

. ABYEI. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

Waterways snake across the disputed territory of Abyei.