Security Council Alarm on Abyei
At the United Nations, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee warned that security in Abyei is sliding fast, citing fresh violations of the zone’s demilitarized, weapon-free status during her briefing to the Security Council on Wednesday.
Rapid Support Forces in the North
Pobee reported that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces have entrenched positions near Amiet Market in northern Abyei, erecting illegal checkpoints and detaining local protection committee members, actions she said are stoking mistrust between Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities.
South Sudanese Deployment in the South
In southern Abyei, elements of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces remain deployed despite the region’s weapon-free designation; October clashes at Athony Junction left soldiers dead and drove more than one hundred civilians to seek temporary shelter at United Nations bases.
Civilian Impact and Fragile Calm
UNISFA noted a lull in traditional Ngok Dinka-Misseriya skirmishes, crediting local peace talks in Todach, yet recent fighting involving Nuer groups displaced over 150 people who also turned to peacekeepers for refuge, underscoring the area’s fragile calm.
Mission Under Financial and Security Strain
The Sudan conflict has forced UNISFA to abandon its Kadugli logistics base after drone strikes, while a 15 percent budget cut linked to wider UN liquidity pressures is limiting patrols, engineering works and rapid protection activities, Pobee told the Council.
Diplomatic Next Steps
Calling Abyei “a crossroads,” Pobee urged Khartoum and Juba to finalise security and administrative frameworks, enable the swift deployment of authorised UN police units, and ensure the full withdrawal of all armed actors to preserve recent gains and prevent a relapse into open conflict.