The UN Security Council over the weekend issued a statement expressing grave concern over the operating conditions of the UN peacekeeping force in Abyei, a disputed area along the Sudan-South Sudan border.
The recent incidents in Gok Machar, including threats to the safety and security of peacekeepers which resulted in the death of a peacekeeper from Ethiopia on 14 September 2021, undermined the ability of the United Nations Interim Security Force (UNISFA) to support the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM), the statement said quoting members of the UN Security Council as saying.
Council members reiterated their full support for the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and expressed their continued concern that the full implementation of its mandate is being obstructed.
They demanded the South Sudanese government to facilitate the unimpeded implementation of UNISFA’s mandate and provide full support to its personnel by removing any obstacles that hinder its work to protect civilians, including by ensuring the mission’s freedom of movement and by facilitating UNISFA’s provision of food, medicine, and other supplies to its personnel.
Council members underscored the important role of UNISFA and the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) in support of achieving peace, security and stability in Abyei and the broader region, and urged the government of South Sudan to intensify its mediation efforts with members of the local community in Gok Machar to reduce tensions and to provide for the redeployment of UNISFA personnel to team sites 11 and 12.
MG/as/APA