The Security Council yesterday extended the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) mandate until 15 May 2022, urging the governments of Sudan and of South Sudan to take all necessary steps to ensure the area is effectively demilitarized.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2609 (2021), the 15-member Council decided to extend for six months the UNISFA’s mandate modification set forth in resolutions 2024 (2011) and 2075 (2012), providing for the Force’s support to the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism and determined that both should continue to demonstrate measurable progress on border demarcation, specifically by taking the certain measures.
The measures include that UNISFA and the Monitoring Mechanism patrols achieve standing clearance and full freedom of movement for all air and ground patrols, and operationalize the reopening of border crossing corridors, in line with decisions taken in October 2020 and September 2021.
The Council decided to reduce the authorized troop ceiling to 3,250 until 15 May 2022 and maintained the authorized ceiling at 640 police personnel, including 148 individual officers and three formed units. It also expressed its intention to reduce the authorized police ceiling as the Abyei Police Service is gradually established and providing effective law enforcement throughout the area.
The 35-paragraph resolution contained a range of provisions and several requests for the Secretary-General, including that he ensures the implementation of 16 UNISFA activities — from strengthening early warning mechanisms for human rights abuses and attacks on civilians to encouraging the use of confidence-building and community engagement to support the mission’s protection and its information gathering efforts.
The Council expressed its serious concern that the Government of Sudan has not issued visas promptly to support personnel critical for the mandate of UNISFA, including police. It also condemned the intermittent presence of South Sudan security service personnel and the deployment of Sudan’s Oil Police in Diffra, in the Abyei area, in violation of the 20 June 2011 Agreement, as well as any entry of armed militias into the territory.
The Council also reiterated its demands that immediately and without preconditions the Government of South Sudan fully redeploy its security service personnel from the Abyei area and that the Government of Sudan redeploy the Oil Police in Diffra.
Further, the Council demanded that all parties involved allow, in accordance with international law, all humanitarian personnel full, safe and unhindered access to civilians in need of assistance and all necessary facilities for their operations. It also strongly urged that the parties cease all forms of violence, human rights violations and abuses, and violations of international humanitarian law committed against civilians, including women and children, and bring perpetrators to justice.
Urging the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to take steps to implement and facilitate confidence-building measures among the respective communities, the Council also expressed concern that women remain absent from the leadership of local peace committees.
The Council urged renewed efforts to determine conclusively the Safe Demilitarized Buffer Zone centerline on the ground and reiterated that this line in no way prejudices the current or future legal status of the border, ongoing negotiations on the disputed and claimed areas, and demarcation of the borders.