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STORY: UN / ABYEI
TRT: 04:45
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 05 NOVEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters
05 NOVEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Wide shot, Assistant Secretary-General Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee addressing Council
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Departments
of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“The political process between the Sudan and South Sudan on Abyei and border issues remains stalled, as it has been since the outbreak of the Sudan conflict in April 2023. Nonetheless, in May, both parties indicated to the UNISFA strategic review team their openness to resuming contact on Abyei, with United Nations and African Union support.”
5. Wide shot, Pobee addressing Council
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Departments
of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“These movements towards dialogue are welcome developments. However, considerable challenges remain in achieving progress on the final status of Abyei. These include the dynamics related to the ongoing war in the Sudan and the political uncertainty in South Sudan. I also urge both South Sudan and Sudan to go beyond statements of intentions, and to accelerate the implementation of existing agreements, as well as use the coordination mechanisms established to address outstanding challenges.”
7. Wide shot, Pobee addressing Council
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Departments
of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“The war in the Sudan and the continued influx of people displaced by the conflict continues to create economic hardship for the population of Abyei. UNISFA has worked to facilitate the interventions targeting high levels of acute malnutrition among children. Funding challenges have had an impact on partners’ capacity for humanitarian support. Indeed, the Food and Agriculture Organization was forced to cease its operations in Abyei at the end of July and the World Food Programme has reduced its footprint.”
9. Wide shot, Special Envoy Guang Cong on screen addressing Council
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Guang Cong, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa:
“The bilateral relationship between Sudan and South Sudan remains deeply affected by the war that started in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In particular, the conflict in Sudan continues to impact the security situation in South Sudan with cross-border movements of armed groups on both sides, increasing the insecurity in and around the border area.”
11. Wide shot, Cong addressing Council
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Guang Cong, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa:
“South Sudan’s oil flow and exports through Sudan have experienced significant disruptions, resulting in a 24.5 percent contraction of its economy. Following increased bilateral engagement and new arrangements to improve security along the pipeline route and other installations, oil production and transportation resumed early this year.”
13. Wide shot, Sudan’s Ambassador Ammar Mohammed Mahmoud Mohammed addressing Council
14. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ammar Mohammed Mahmoud Mohammed, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sudan:
“Sudan reiterates its commitment to work closely with the government of South Sudan to enhance the role of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism and the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee. And we hope that together we can activate all bilateral mechanisms provided for in the agreements between the two countries. Sudan firmly believes that a sustainable solution to the Abyei question can only be achieved through sincere dialog and cooperation between the two nations, away from any escalation, in a way to bring lasting peace to the region.”
15. Med shot, South Sudan’s Ambassador Sabino Edward Nyawella Amaikwey addressing Council
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Sabino Edward Nyawella Amaikwey, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, South Sudan:
“South Sudan has no intention to hinder or intervene in UNISFA's mandate. The presence of South Sudan Defence Forces (SSPDF) in South Sudan's territories is meant to protect civilians and discourage enterprise rivalry among communities.”
17. Wide shot, end of Council session
The Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Pobee, today (05 Nov) told the Security Council that “considerable challenges remain in achieving progress on the final status of Abyei,” including “the dynamics related to the ongoing war in the Sudan and the political uncertainty in South Sudan.”
Pobee said, “the political process between the Sudan and South Sudan on Abyei and border issues remains stalled, as it has been since the outbreak of the Sudan conflict in April 2023,” but noted that earlier this year, both parties had indicated to the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA) strategic review team, “their openness to resuming contact on Abyei, with United Nations and African Union support.”
This was followed by a visit of the South Sudanese Foreign Minister to Port Sudan, last month where the two countries announced their intention to reactivate cooperation agreements focusing on security and the economy.
She welcomed “these movements towards dialogue” and urged both South Sudan and Sudan “to go beyond statements of intentions, and to accelerate the implementation of existing agreements, as well as use the coordination mechanisms established to address outstanding challenges.”
Pobee said, “the war in the Sudan and the continued influx of people displaced by the conflict continues to create economic hardship for the population of Abyei.”
She said, “funding challenges have had an impact on partners’ capacity for humanitarian support,” and noted that “the Food and Agriculture Organization was forced to cease its operations in Abyei at the end of July and the World Food Programme has reduced its footprint.”
Briefing the Council via video teleconference, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, Guang Cong said, “the bilateral relationship between Sudan and South Sudan remains deeply affected by the war that started in April 2023” between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In particular, Cong said, “the conflict in Sudan continues to impact the security situation in South Sudan with cross-border movements of armed groups on both sides, increasing the insecurity in and around the border area.”
He told the Council that in this context, “South Sudan’s oil flow and exports through Sudan have experienced significant disruptions, resulting in a 24.5 percent contraction of its economy.”
Cong noted that “following increased bilateral engagement and new arrangements to improve security along the pipeline route and other installations, oil production and transportation resumed early this year.”
However, subsequent attacks by the RSF on oil installations in Port Sudan on 5-6 May, and another attack on 26
August on oil facilities in Heglig, near the Sudan – South Sudan border, resulted in oil spills, environmental damage and led to an emergency shutdown of operations.
Sudan’s Ambassador Ammar Mohammed Mahmoud Mohammed expressed “Sudan’s commitment to work closely with the government of South Sudan to enhance the role of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism and the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee,” expressing hope that both countries can activate bilateral mechanisms provided for existing agreements.
Mohammed said, “Sudan firmly believes that a sustainable solution to the Abyei question can only be achieved through sincere dialog and cooperation between the two nations, away from any escalation, in a way to bring lasting peace to the region.”
South Sudan’s Ambassador Sabino Edward Nyawella Amaikwey for his part said, “South Sudan has no intention to hinder or intervene in UNISFA's mandate. The presence of South Sudan Defence Forces (SSPDF) in South Sudan's territories is meant to protect civilians and discourage enterprise rivalry among communities.”
