Follow-aware
The commander of United Nations peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, called on the government of South Sudan to withdraw its forces from the disputed Abyei region with Sudan, warning that the presence of these forces threatened to “inflame tensions” in the region.
“We are very concerned about the presence of South Sudanese security forces in southern Abyei since October 2022 and the deployment of additional armed forces by South Sudan in late March and early April of this year,” Lacroix said during a session of the UN Security Council.
When South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011, the status of the Abyei region remained suspended, and Juba and Khartoum have not been able to reach an agreement to resolve the dispute between them over this oil-rich region, where thousands of blue helmet soldiers are deployed.
Abyei often witnesses armed clashes between Sudanese and South Sudanese forces.
Before the UN Security Council, Lacroix confirmed that the presence of South Sudanese army units in this region “violates” the 2011 agreement, which stipulated that Abyei would be a demilitarized zone.
The UN official stressed that the presence of these forces in Abyei “raises fear and has led to multiple violations of the freedom of movement of the United Nations Interim Force in Abyei, which limits the capabilities of (the United Nations Mission) to carry out its mission of protecting civilians.”
Lacroix added, “If no action is taken, the presence of (units of the South Sudanese army) in Abyei could inflame tensions in a region already facing deep political divisions.”
The commander of the UN peacekeeping forces called on “the government of South Sudan to withdraw all its forces from Abyei as soon as possible.”
2024-05-09 22:31:59