Südsudan/Sudan (Abyei)

[…] By the terms of resolution 2519 (2020), the Council decided to extend the mandate for activities in the area bordering Sudan and South Sudan, and reiterated its demand for both countries to provide full support for the mission, including by removing any obstacles hindering efforts to protect civilians in Abyei.

Sudan’s efforts to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, are delaying the deployment of fresh United Nations police units in Abyei and the border regions between Sudan and South Sudan, the UN’s peacekeeping chief told the Security Council on Tuesday.

Traditional leadership of the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya failed to strike a deal on peaceful coexistence but reiterated their commitment to peace and security in Abyei. The United Nations’ Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) facilitated two meetings between the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya traditional leaders at Diffra on 16 March and 9 April to discuss ways to end intercommunal tensions and enable save corridors for their cattle to graze south to Bahr al-Arab or Kiir River basin.

In a report to the UN Security Council, the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) said it discussed with the two countries a plan to establish checkpoints to search for weapons and ammunition and control the reported movements of armed elements within the Abyei Area.

Salva Kiir tells MEE that last week's Kolom massacre was not the first time that UN forces have failed to protect civilians.

Nearly five thousand internally displaced people have moved to Abyei town following a brutal attack by Misseriya armed men on a Dinka Ngok village.