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STORY: UN / SUDAN SOUTH SUDAN ABYEI
TRT: 03:30
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 07 MAY 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UN Headquarters
07 MAY 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean Pierre Lacroix
4. Wide shot, Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, United Nations:
“Political progress towards the determination of the final status of Abyei and the resolution of issues related to the Sudan-South Sudan border remains stalled since the outbreak of the war between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in the Sudan in April 2023. Despite the positive engagement demonstrated in the months before the start of the crisis, the ongoing fighting is likely to continue to seriously impact the chances for constructive dialogue between the two countries on these topics.”
6. Med shot, Lacroix addressing Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, United Nations:
“We are deeply concerned about the presence of South Sudanese security forces in southern Abyei since October 2022, including additional troop deployments of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), which took place in late March and early April of this year. This presence is in violation of the 2011 Agreement between the Sudan and South Sudan on Abyei and relevant Security Council resolutions. The presence of SSPDF has caused fear and has led to repeated violations of UNISFA’s freedom of movement, thereby limiting the latter’s ability to implement its protection of civilians mandate.”
8. Med shot, Lacroix addressing Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa:
“The Sudan crisis, which began a year ago on 16 April, remains a pressing issue. The conflict in Sudan continues to be determined by military developments on the ground, and yet, it is in our estimation a situation that no warring party has the military means to achieve victory. Despite numerous mediation efforts, the civilian population continues to suffer the consequences of the violent confrontation between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). This conflict not only impacts bilateral relations between the Sudan and South Sudan but also has far-reaching implications for the security and humanitarian situation in Sudan’s neighbours, the Sahel, and in the Horn of Africa as a whole.”
10. Wide shot, Sudanese Ambassador Ammar Mohammed Mahmoud Mohammed addressing Council
11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ammar Mohammed Mahmoud Mohammed, Counsellor, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sudan
“The government of Sudan would underscore once again, its commitment and its willingness to create provisional arrangements for administration and security pursuant to the 2011 agreement. We are committed to delimit the borders and not to change the current demographic situation of the region. We underscore that we can only settle the situation regarding Abyei with an agreement between the two countries involving all stakeholders and society as well.”
12. Wide shot, South Sudanese Ambassador Cecilia Adout Majok Adeng addressing Council
SOUNDBITE (English) Cecilia Adout Majok Adeng, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, South Sudan
“South Sudan recognizes the importance of ensuring humanitarian access to Abyei especially in the light of the ongoing inter communal violence and the influx of displaced persons from Sudan. We pledge to cooperate with relevant parties to facilitate humanitarian assistance and ensure safety of aid workers operating in the region. South Sudan also welcomes the reduction in intercommunal violence is and supports efforts towards peaceful coexistence.”
16. Wide shot, end of Council session
The Head of Peace Operations, Jean Pierre Lacroix, today (7 May) told the Security Council that the ongoing fighting in Sudan “is likely to continue to seriously impact the chances for constructive dialogue" between Sudan and South Sudan on the Abyei issue.
Presenting the Report of Secretary-General on United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), Lacroix said, “political progress towards the determination of the final status of Abyei and the resolution of issues related to the Sudan-South Sudan border remains stalled since the outbreak of the war between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in the Sudan in April 2023.”
He expressed concern about “the presence of South Sudanese security forces in southern Abyei since October 2022, including additional troop deployments of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), which took place in late March and early April of this year.”
The peacekeeping Chief said, “this presence is in violation of the 2011 Agreement between the Sudan and South Sudan on Abyei and relevant Security Council resolutions,” and it has “led to repeated violations of UNISFA’s freedom of movement, thereby limiting the latter’s ability to implement its protection of civilians mandate.”
Also briefing the Council, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, said, “the Sudan crisis, which began a year ago on 16 April, remains a pressing issue.”
Serwaa Tetteh said the conflict in Sudan “continues to be determined by military developments on the ground, and yet, it is in our estimation a situation that no warring party has the military means to achieve victory.”
Despite numerous mediation efforts, she said, “the civilian population continues to suffer the consequences of the violent confrontation between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF).”
Serwaa Tetteh said the conflict “not only impacts bilateral relations between the Sudan and South Sudan but also has far-reaching implications for the security and humanitarian situation in Sudan’s neighbours, the Sahel, and in the Horn of Africa as a whole.”
Sudanese Ambassador Ammar Mohammed Mahmoud Mohammed told the Council that the government of Sudan underscores “its commitment and its willingness to create provisional arrangements for administration and security pursuant to the 2011 agreement.”
The Sudanese Ambassador said, “we are committed to delimit the borders and not to change the current demographic situation of the region” and stressed that “we can only settle the situation regarding Abyei with an agreement between the two countries involving all stakeholders and society as well.”
For her part, South Sudanese Ambassador Cecilia Adout Majok Adeng said, “South Sudan recognizes the importance of ensuring humanitarian access to Abyei especially in the light of the ongoing inter communal violence and the influx of displaced persons from Sudan.”
She pledged “to cooperate with relevant parties to facilitate humanitarian assistance and ensure safety of aid workers operating in the region,” adding that “South Sudan also welcomes the reduction in intercommunal violence is and supports efforts towards peaceful coexistence.”
The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) was established through United Nations Security Council Resolution 1990 of June 27, 2011.
