STATEMENT BY JEAN-PIERRE LACROIX, UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFING ON UNISFA
New York
06 NOVEMBER 2023
I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), including the mission’s support to the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM). I will take the opportunity to update members on the latest political, security and humanitarian developments, including the impact of the ongoing fighting in the Sudan.
The outbreak of armed conflict in the Sudan in April interrupted the encouraging signs of dialogue between the Sudan and South Sudan witnessed earlier in 2023. It effectively put on hold the political process with regard to the final status of Abyei and border issues. The United Nations, in close coordination with the African Union, remains ready to support a resumption of dialogue and is monitoring the situation for the conditions that might allow for that. Special Envoy Hanna Tetteh will provide the Council with a further update on developments related to the political process with regard to the Sudan and South Sudan and other regional issues.
In Abyei, the Sudan crisis has resulted in an influx of displaced people. At the Amiet market, our humanitarian partners have recorded over 9,000 people who have sought refuge from the fighting. The mission has already seen increased weapons circulation in Abyei, a situation that may have been exacerbated by the situation in the Sudan. The conflict has also created economic hardship for the population of Abyei as the flow of basic goods and commodities, many of which came from the north, has been disrupted. UNISFA, too, has had to adjust its deployment routes and supply arrangements in line with the new reality.
Fighting in South Kordofan and the area of operations of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism has created challenges for UNISFA, including restrictions on air movements that have hampered efforts to ensure safe resupply and the continued implementation of the Mechanism’s mandate. We are deeply grateful for the commitment of the troop-contributing countries that make the JBVMM’s continued presence possible under difficult circumstances. The JBVMM has faced serious challenges in Kadugli, the Sudan, due to the ongoing crisis and continues to lack a presence in its Sector 1 headquarters in Gok Machar, South Sudan, and associated areas after its forced withdrawal in 2021. We remain in contact with the Government of South Sudan on that issue and have called for its cooperation to re-establish the JBVMM’s presence there.
While aerial patrolling has been halted due to airspace restrictions, JBVMM personnel remain in place and ground monitoring in the border area continues. Amidst the regional insecurity, supporting constructive relations between the two countries with regard to their shared border remains an important priority for UNISFA.
The targeting of UNISFA personnel remains of great concern. Over the past six months, there were three occasions where peacekeepers were attacked and injured. Thankfully, those colleagues are now in stable condition. I extend my gratitude and support to them and to their families and respective Governments. The safety of our peacekeepers is a top priority, and investigations into the attacks are ongoing.
The mission has worked to facilitate humanitarian assistance to an estimated 220,000 vulnerable people in the central and southern parts of Abyei, including those displaced in intercommunal clashes and those the fighting in the Sudan. While humanitarian partners work to provide support to those in need, efforts are also being made to increase the humanitarian presence in northern Abyei, where the Sudan crisis has created significant challenges for the deployment of staff and supplies.
During the reporting period, intercommunal relations in Abyei remained tense. While violence between the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities was somewhat reduced, with UNISFA’s mediation support through specific initiatives such as the transhumance corridors conference held in Noong in central Abyei in June, continued efforts are required to address ongoing tensions and promote reconciliation, At the same time, the dispute over land in the southern part of Abyei that flared into violence between the Ngok Dinka and Twic Dinka in February 2022 remains a serious concern. While there was a welcome lull during the first part of the reporting period, new clashes have been reported on both sides of Abyei’s southern boundary as the rainy season has receded. UNISFA remains alert, responding to early warning provided by the community and working in close coordination with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to protect civilians. UNISFA and UNMISS have jointly also provided support to reconciliation talks between the Ngok Dinka and Twic Dinka communities, such as those held in Wau, South Sudan, in August, and we welcome the mediation efforts of the Government of South Sudan.
The mission is working to promote the rule of law in Abyei, including through United Nations police (UNPOL) support to the community protection committees and the joint protection committees, in the absence of the Abyei police service, as foreseen in the 2011 agreement. The mission continues to face challenges in that regard, including the non-deployment of additional individual police officers and three formed police units mandated by the Security Council. Those assets would be very valuable to strengthening the rule of law in Abyei, particularly amid the influx of people displaced by the crisis in the Sudan. UNISFA continues to engage the relevant authorities in that regard.
UNISFA continues to prioritize gender in its work, including by increasing the recruitment and retention of female staff and promoting the participation of women in local conflict-management structures. In June, the mission launched the UNPOL Women Network as a forum to share experiences, raise awareness about gender mainstreaming in peace operations and promote the implementation of the women and peace and security mandate. However, the number of women in troop contingents remains low, at only 7 per cent, and we call for the support of the troop- and police-contributing countries in working with UNISFA to prioritize the deployment of women.
The crisis in the Sudan has delayed the completion of UNISFA’s reconfiguration from a single troop-contributing country mission to a United Nations multinational peacekeeping force, as the deployment of personnel and equipment was disrupted and shifted to the longer southern route. However, we expect the remainder of troops and contingent-owned equipment to have arrived and the mission to have reached its full operational capacity by the first quarter of 2024. In the meantime, peacekeepers in UNISFA, with equipment supplemented where necessary by United Nations-owned equipment, have been capably implementing the mission’s mandate.
A continuing challenge for the mission is the presence in southern Abyei of approximately 200 South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and South Sudan National Police Service personnel, and an estimated 60 Sudanese oil police in northern Abyei. Those presences, which are in contradiction to the mission’s mandate and Abyei’s demilitarized and weapon-free status, have also resulted in restrictions on UNISFA’s freedom of movement. We continue to call on the relevant authorities for their withdrawal.
Finally, during the reporting period, the United Nations country teams in the Sudan and South Sudan, with UNISFA, continued the implementation of the Abyei-United Nations joint programme, aimed at creating an environment conducive to peaceful coexistence. The Sudan crisis has created delays in joint programme implementation, particularly with respect to the deployment of staff and supplies. Despite that, UNISFA and the two country teams have been able to provide services to the population where possible and will continue, as the joint programme remains important in helping to create the conditions necessary for peace in Abyei.
In conclusion, I want to thank the Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr and all the personnel of UNISFA and the two country teams for their tireless efforts in support of peace and security particularly in these challenging times. I am grateful to the troop- and police-contributing countries for their continuing close collaboration on the force’s reconfiguration and in support of UNISFA’s mandate, despite the challenging environment. I also want to thank the members of the Security Council for their continued support to UNISFA.