Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The United Nations Security Council has extended the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) for another year.
This meaning maintaining the peacekeepers in the disputed oil-rich territory claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan until November 2026.
The decision was reached late on Friday through a 12–0 vote as Russia, China and Pakistan abstained.
Council members warned that the mission’s future renewals will depend on whether the two countries show real progress in reducing tensions and addressing long-standing security issues in the area.
The United States drafted the resolution and said it worked constructively to put forward practical and realistic requirements for UNISFA’s continued presence.
The renewed mandate makes clear that any further extension will be based on concrete steps by Sudan and South Sudan, including the long-delayed establishment of a joint police force in Abyei and the complete demilitarization of the region
“These benchmarks will be evaluated against the following efforts within the respective purviews of the two countries, including: to urge all unauthorised armed forces and armed elements to withdraw from the Abyei area and take all necessary steps to achieve its full demilitarisation.”
“To resume and document meetings of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM), a body employed by Sudan and South Sudan to discuss security matters of mutual concern; and to establish the Abyei Joint Security Police, including recruitment, training, and deployment numbers”.
These commitments were originally made in 2011, when South Sudan became an independent state and the two governments agreed to resolve Abyei’s status through peaceful means.
Around 4,000 UN police and soldiers currently serve under UNISFA, with responsibilities that include protecting civilians and helping prevent the frequent outbreaks of violence that have destabilized the area for years.
The mission has been credited with reducing large-scale conflict, though localized armed clashes continue to pose serious risks to communities in the region.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres must now provide the Security Council with an assessment by August 2026 on whether Sudan and South Sudan have made meaningful progress toward meeting the benchmarks laid out in the resolution.
His report will help guide the Council’s discussion on whether to scale back, adjust, or further extend the peacekeeping mission in Abyei.
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