Peacekeeping chief encouraged by ‘warming’ relations between Sudan and South Sudan over Abyei 

“The warming of their relations was disposable in Abyei, wherever astir of the threats to the assemblage were of a transgression nature, not of subject nature”, Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed Council Members.  

The area was accorded peculiar administrative status in 2004, and a UN Interim Security Force, UNISFA, operates there to supply enactment for section policing, and the deployment of equipped forces, successful accordance with a 2011 Agreement. 

Sudan coup: ‘To early to know’ 

Referring to this week’s military coup in Sudan, helium said that “it is excessively aboriginal to cognize what the interaction of this week’s developments successful Khartoum volition mean” for the portion and the Interim Security Force. 

“But I americium hopeful arsenic I cognize that each parties successful Sudan are, and person been, beardown supporters of the Mission”, he added.  

Future of the mission 

UNISFA was established in 2011. In a resolution, earlier this year, the Security Council asked for a imaginable drawdown and exit strategy. 

Following that request, Mr. Lacroix presented a strategic review, which indicated that UNISFA was successfully continuing its work, to support the radical of Abyei through its subject and excavation enactment presence.  

In the reporting period, from 16 April 2021 to 15 October 2021, the mission’s humanitarian and betterment enactment reached much than 103,000 susceptible people.   

Most of the caller challenges during this period were related to the mandate of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM). 

“Representatives of the assemblage in Gok Machar made it difficult, and yet impossible, for UNISFA to proceed to enactment the implementation of the JBVMM mandate to a ample extent”, Mr. Lacroix informed. 

According to him, the reappraisal team identified an important abstraction for UN peacebuilding, humanitarian, betterment and improvement assistance.   

“It is my anticipation that the Council volition supply UNISFA with a continued, and somewhat strengthened, mandate successful this peculiar area, while dilatory but steadily identifying areas wherever the subject and information broadside of the Mission could commencement preparing for an eventual drawdown”, helium said.  

With respect to the subject side, the strategical reappraisal proposes 2 options: keep wide unit numbers adjacent to what they are currently, or a lightly reduced unit ceiling.   

A affirmative trend 

Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, the Secretary-General Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, besides briefed Council Members on the region, and relations betwixt Sudan and South Sudan.  

He noted that astir of what helium was reporting “may dependable a spot removed from the unfolding concern successful Sudan which could perchance negatively interaction bilateral relations”, but besides hoped that “the caller affirmative inclination volition not beryllium derailed.” 

He said the 2 countries person been deepening their relationship, pointing retired respective high-level visits and initiatives successful enactment of each other’s bid processes.  

For Mr. Parfait, a recently agreed woody to resume export and borderline commercialized is a crucial step, but has truthful acold not materialized, having been overtaken by the unfolding events successful Sudan. 

Regarding Abyei, helium said “the long-standing deadlock has hindered immoderate progress, too leaving the country with a intelligibly defined presumption that has continued to stoke instability.” 

The Special Representative besides highlighted the high-level committees that some countries established, informing that they are presently both reviewing each past agreements. 

The extremity is to have negotiations, facilitated by a 3rd party, that would pb to the colony of the last presumption of the region.