Guterres: Positive Strides Made in Khartoum, Juba Over Abyei
Arab World
New York - Ali Barada
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recommended the extension of the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) for a period of six months until 15 October 2020, praising the positive steps made both in Khartoum and in Juba from October 2019 till April 2020. In a report issued over the situation in Abyei, Guterres said: “I am optimistic that peace dividends from the transitions in both countries, as well as interaction between the two, will have a positive impact on peace and development. However, these developments have also highlighted the need to ensure that the mechanisms established in 2012 in the cooperation agreements are fully implemented.” The UN chief said the Governments of the Sudan and South Sudan have paid limited attention to their responsibilities regarding Abyei as they have had other pressing priorities. “I call on both parties to renew efforts to address the issues that have remained unresolved for too long, including the implementation of their Agreement of 20 June 2011. For the consolidation of peace and security in Abyei, it is paramount that the parties revive a viable political process that will lead to the implementation of the Agreement,” he noted. Guterres also highlighted the outcomes of the meeting of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism held on 19 February 2020, during which UNISFA presented its plans to readjust its deployment, establish checkpoints and reactivate the Joint Military Observation Committee/joint military observer teams in order to curb incidents of violence, including those perpetrated by armed groups. “Such measures are particularly pressing in the light of the mission’s reconfiguration and of the need to help to curb the acts of violence that continue to occur in the Abyei Area,” he said. The UN Chief called on the members of the Security Council to draw the attention of the Abyei stakeholders to the need for the positive momentum in their bilateral relations and to make progress towards resolving the issue of Abyei since an open-ended mandate for UNISFA is not acceptable or affordable for the international community in the long run. Commenting on the COVID-19 crisis, Guterres said: “I am concerned that as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, engagement in the foreseeable future may need to take on new modalities.” The Secretary-General said UNISFA has not recorded any case of COVID-19 yet within the mission. On Tuesday, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, updating the Council on the work of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), said Sudan’s efforts to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, are delaying the deployment of new United Nations police units in Abyei and the border regions between Sudan and South Sudan.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2258501/guterres-positive-strides-made-khartoum-juba-over-abyei
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