新气氛使阿卜耶伊问题所涉的知名人士、包括前外交部长弗朗西斯•登得以在喀土穆开展一系列非正式讨论。他们的目的是制订一项将振兴恩哥克-丁卡人和米塞里亚人之间合作的路线图，为讨论阿卜耶伊的最终地位打开窗口。这是自2012年两国总统担负起处理阿卜耶伊问题的责任以来，两国阿卜耶伊问题的游说者首次得以就这个敏感问题展开直接讨论。
The new mood has enabled eminent personalities concerned with Abyei, including former Foreign Minister Francis Deng, to generate an informal series of discussions in Khatroum. Their aim is to identify a road map that would rejuvenate cooperation between the Ngok Dinka and the Misseriya and and open a window to discuss the final status of Abyei. It is the first time since 2012, when the Presidents took responsibility for handling the Abyei issue, that it has been possible for the Abyei lobbyists in both countries to undertake direct discussions on this sensitive matter.