UN Security Council renews mandate of peacekeeping forces in disputed Abyei region

NEW YORK  – The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday renewed the mandate of its peacekeeping force in the disputed region of Abyei, by additional six months, till May 15, 2021.

According to a UN statement, Resolution 2550, which won unanimous support of the 15 members of the Council, also decides to extend the peacekeeping mission’s mandate modification till May 15, 2021.

The Security Council first modified the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in December 2011 to add tasks of supporting a Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism of Sudan and South Sudan, which gained independence on July 9, 2011.

The resolution decides that UNISFA should maintain the authorized troop ceiling at 3,550, until May 15, 2021, in addition to a decision to maintain the authorized police ceiling at 640 police personnel, including 148 individual police officers and three formed police units.

It further encourages the government of Sudan and the government of South Sudan to continue to facilitate the deployment of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to ensure freedom of movement.

Meanwhile, the resolution strongly urges all parties to cease all forms of violence, human rights violations and abuses, violations of international humanitarian law, and violations of other international law, as applicable, committed against civilians, including women and children, and bring perpetrators of such abuses or violations to justice.

The Security Council, by its resolution 1990 of 27 June 2011, responded to the urgent situation in Sudan’s Abyei region by establishing UNISFA. The Security Council was deeply concerned by the violence, escalating tensions and population displacement.