The acting head of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has concluded visits to Sudan and South Sudan, where he urged both governments to advance security cooperation and reaffirmed the U.N. mission’s support for dialogue aimed at maintaining stability in the disputed Abyei region.
Major General Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, UNISFA’s acting head of mission and force commander, met senior government officials and international partners to discuss political and security developments in Abyei and ways to strengthen implementation of the mission’s mandate.
According to UNISFA, the two governments reiterated their support for the mission’s mandate and expressed commitment to continued dialogue, including convening the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM), a bilateral forum established to promote border security cooperation and stability in the Abyei area.
“UNISFA remains committed to working with both Sudan and South Sudan to support dialogue and cooperation in the interest of lasting peace and stability,” Shrestha said.
A central issue during the meetings was the demilitarisation of Abyei and efforts to preserve the territory as a weapon-free zone in line with the mission’s mandate and U.N. Security Council benchmarks. Shrestha stressed the need for the withdrawal of all unauthorised armed forces and armed elements from the area and said UNISFA would continue engaging the parties to facilitate the process.
He also called for the full implementation of UNISFA’s mandate under existing agreements, saying it was essential to strengthen law and order and create conditions for long-term peace and stability.
“These engagements with our partners constitute an encouraging step in our joint effort towards progress on the benchmarks and our next report to the Security Council,” Shrestha said.
During his visit to South Sudan, Shrestha also met representatives of the World Health Organization to discuss preparedness for the Ebola situation in the region. The talks focused on the agency’s readiness to support UNISFA and communities in Abyei through coordinated public health preparedness and response measures if required.
UNISFA said the visits underscored the mission’s continued efforts to support dialogue, reduce tensions and work with regional and international partners to promote peace, security and stability in Abyei.
and then