UN peacekeeping chief positive about drawdown of Abyei mission

United Nations, October 28: UN Undersecretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Wednesday remained positive about a possible drawdown of the UN peacekeeping force in Abyei, a disputed area along the Sudan-South Sudan border.
Despite the internal challenges that Sudan and South Sudan each face, their bilateral commitment toward cooperation on outstanding issues has so far remained. The upbeat political tone on the issue of Abyei that a UN team heard in Khartoum and Juba in June appears to have remained intact, he told the Security Council in a briefing.
A UN team conducted in-person consultations with stakeholders in Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia, which provides the peacekeepers, from June 18 to 30 for the purpose of a strategic review of the Abyei peacekeeping force, officially known as the UN Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA).
It is encouraging that both South Sudan and Sudan have now established national committees on the question of Abyei, and the warming of their relations was visible in Abyei, where most of the threats to the community were of a criminal nature, not of military nature, said Lacroix.
It is too early to know what the impact of this week's military coup in Sudan will mean for UNISFA on a day-to-day basis, he said. "But I am hopeful as I know that all parties in Sudan are, and have been, strong supporters of the mission. I am also grateful for the continued cooperation of South Sudan in support of UNISFA."
The review team did identify a significant trust deficit that remains between the communities in Abyei, particularly the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka, and noted an important space for UN peacebuilding, humanitarian, recovery and development assistance, he said.
"The UN continues to prioritize support for this issue, and it is my hope that the (Security) Council will provide UNISFA with a continued, and somewhat strengthened, mandate in this particular area, while slowly but steadily identifying areas where the military and security side of the mission could start preparing for an eventual drawdown."
Negotiations toward a political settlement concerning the Abyei area, with Sudan and South Sudan in the lead, remain crucial building blocks toward an exit strategy for UNISFA. As part of defining a strategic vision for the mission, it is important that a set of benchmarks be established in close coordination with Sudan and South Sudan, he said.
Source: Xinhua