The Abyei Area Administration has changed its name to Abyei Area Special Administration, a local official announced.

Alor Dou Al Beit, information official in Abyei, told Abyei Today newsletter that the decision was taken in March following a decree by South Sudan's President Salva Kiir. Alor said the order will come into effect in the next two months.

The Juba-backed Administration is the de facto governing body of much of Abyei area, though the oil and pasture-rich area remains contested between Sudan and South Sudan. UNISFA, an Ethiopian-manned peacekeeping force, maintains a presence in Abyei.