Sudan/South Sudan
Expected Council Action
In May, the Council is expected to receive a briefing on the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), due by 1 May, as requested in resolution 2802 of 14 November 2025. Consultations are expected to follow the briefing.
The mandate of UNISFA and the mission’s support for the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) expire on 15 November.
Key Recent Developments
On 14 November 2025, the Security Council adopted resolution 2802, renewing UNISFA’s mandate for another year. The resolution was adopted with 12 votes in favour and three abstentions (China, Russia, and Pakistan). It incorporated findings from the Secretary-General’s strategic review of UNISFA, submitted on 18 August 2025 pursuant to resolution 2760 of 14 November 2024. The resolution expressed the Council’s intention to base future renewal of the mission on demonstrable progress by Sudan and South Sudan against a set of benchmarks. These include the withdrawal of all unauthorised armed forces and armed elements from the Abyei area and steps towards its full demilitarisation; the resumption and documentation of 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 the establishment of the Abyei Joint Security Police, including progress on recruitment, training, and deployment. (For background and more information, see the brief on Sudan/South Sudan in our November 2025 Monthly Forecast and our 13 November 2025 What’s in Blue story.)
On 2 December 2025, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Ganesh Kumar Shrestha of Nepal as the new Force Commander of UNISFA, where he also serves as Acting Head of Mission. Shrestha undertook his first visit in this capacity to Juba from 2 to 4 February, leading a UNISFA delegation to engage with South Sudanese officials, reinforce cooperation, and discuss the implementation of the UNISFA and JBVMM mandates. During the visit, the delegation also met with the High-Level Committee for Dialogue, Expedition and Follow-Up on the Final Status of Abyei and the Abyei Joint Oversight Commission and held coordination discussions with the leadership of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on issues of mutual interest and inter-mission cooperation.
On 12 February, Shrestha met with Juba-appointed Chief Administrator Justice Charles Abyei. According to a UNISFA press release, the discussions focused on key issues affecting the mission’s area of operations, including the security situation, the presence of state and non-state armed actors, and the construction of main supply routes, among others.
The annual Ngok Dinka and Misseriya seasonal pre-migration conference took place from 20-23 November in Noong, Abyei, co-organised by UNISFA, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Concordis International (a peacebuilding non-governmental organisation). The two communities have had long-standing disputes over land ownership, access to water, and grazing areas, which often intensify during seasonal migration. According to a UNISFA press release, participants signed an agreement renewing their commitment to prevent conflict, safeguard livelihoods, and ensure the protection of civilians along migration corridors, while also pledging to strengthen trust between herders and farming communities.
The security situation in the mission’s area of operations has remained tense, with fighting in Sudan and South Sudan further aggravating conditions and contributing to the deterioration of the security and humanitarian situations in the Abyei region. On 13 December 2025, a drone attack hit the UN logistics base in Kadugli, South Kordofan state in Sudan, which resulted in the deaths of six peacekeepers and injured nine others. In a 21 December 2025 press statement, Council members condemned the attack in the strongest terms and called for those responsible to be held accountable without delay. They reiterated that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law and called on host authorities to take all appropriate steps to support the safety and security of all UN premises, personnel, and peacekeepers.
In a 24 December 2025 press release, UNISFA confirmed the completion of the evacuation of its logistics base in Kadugli, including mission personnel and some staff from non-governmental organisations. The evacuation followed a comprehensive assessment of the security situation in Kadugli after the 13 December drone attack on the mission’s logistics base.
In early March, an attack by “unidentified armed youth” on the county headquarters in Abiemnhom county in South Sudan, located approximately eight kilometres from Abyei, resulted in significant civilian casualties and large-scale displacement, including into Abyei, where conditions are characterised by limited access to livelihoods, constrained coping capacities, and a high reliance on humanitarian assistance. In response, UNISFA reinforced protection measures in south-eastern Abyei, with peacekeepers deploying to protect civilians and intensifying patrols following the attack. (For background, see the brief on South Sudan in our April 2026 Monthly Forecast.)
Key Issues and Options
The fundamental issue for the Council remains how to reinvigorate the political process to address the final status of Abyei and outstanding Sudan-South Sudan border issues amid the war in Sudan and political uncertainty in South Sudan. Securing a ceasefire in Sudan is widely seen as essential to mitigating the conflict’s impact on the security, humanitarian, and socioeconomic conditions in Abyei, while addressing the underlying drivers of insecurity in South Sudan remains closely linked to long-term stability in the area.
Also, a significant concern for the Council is the presence of armed actors, including the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese paramilitary group, and South Sudanese forces in Abyei, in violation of the area’s demilitarised status. The ongoing fighting in Sudan— combined with shifting intercommunal dynamics in Abyei and particularly in South Sudan below Abyei’s southern border has contributed to an increased presence and influence of armed groups, fuelling criminality, insecurity, and risks to the safety of peacekeepers. The proliferation of small arms in Abyei further risks exacerbating intercommunal tensions and undermining the overall security situation.
Council members remain concerned about the operational challenges facing UNISFA and the JBVMM, including restrictions on the freedom of movement of the mission. These difficulties have been compounded by the fighting in Sudan, which has forced UNISFA to adjust supply routes. This has resulted in significant logistical and security constraints for both the mission and the JBVMM, including the closure of its logistics base in Kadugli. A persistent issue remains the lack of deployment of Council-authorised formed police units and the appointment of a civilian deputy head of mission, due to a lack of agreement from the Sudanese government.
One option for Council members would be to hold an informal meeting with the new Force Commander and acting Head of the Mission Shrestha, along with troop-and police-contributing countries, to discuss the operational challenges facing UNISFA and the JBVMM.
Another key issue relates to the parties’ ability to meet the benchmarks established by the Council. As outlined below, the US appears increasingly reluctant to support the continued presence of the mission in the absence of demonstrable progress by the parties toward resolving their differences. In this context, Council members may wish to consider convening an informal interactive dialogue, bringing together representatives of the concerned parties as well as regional and sub-regional organisations, to address challenges related to the implementation of these benchmarks.
One option for Council members could also be to issue a presidential statement in which the Council underscores the operational challenges facing the mission, including restrictions on freedom of movement, and urges the parties to fully cooperate with UNISFA to address these concerns. The Council could further call on the parties to adhere to their respective obligations, respect UNISFA’s mandate and Status of Forces Agreement, and ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers. It could also reaffirm its support for the mission and encourage efforts to address underlying drivers of insecurity, notably the presence of armed groups and the proliferation of weapons.
Council Dynamics
Council members have traditionally agreed on the important roles that UNISFA and the JBVMM play in supporting peace, security, and stability in Abyei and the broader region. However, they have expressed concern about recurring intercommunal violence, the presence of armed actors in the area, attacks against peacekeepers, and the compounding effects of Sudan’s conflict on the political, humanitarian, and security situation in Abyei, as well as the operational and logistical challenges facing the mission.
In the past, the US, as penholder, emphasised UNISFA’s role in protecting civilians and called for adequate resourcing of the mission, stressing the importance of ensuring freedom of movement and removing obstacles to mandate implementation. However, during the negotiations of the last renewal resolution, the US took a different approach, reflecting broader efforts under the current US administration to reduce financial support to UN peace operations, including through the use of benchmarks to assess UNISFA’s performance and inform decisions on the mission’s future.
This approach was strongly opposed by African members of the Council, as well as China and Russia, which rejected the idea of conditioning the mandate renewal on benchmarks. Amid the fragile security and political situations in Sudan and South Sudan, several Council members underscored the continued importance of UNISFA’s role in supporting peace and stability in Abyei and the wider region, with many expressing reservations about any automatic drawdown or withdrawal of the mission in the near term.
In their explanations of vote, China, Pakistan, and Russia emphasised UNISFA’s positive contribution to promoting stability in Abyei and reiterated their concern over the linking of the mission’s renewal to the implementation of the benchmarks outlined in the resolution. In particular, Pakistan and Russia stressed that conditioning UNISFA’s renewal on such objectives is unrealistic, as the fate of the mission is being made contingent not on its performance, but on external factors beyond the mission’s control.
| Security Council Resolutions | |
| 14 November 2025S/RES/2802 | This resolution renewed the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) for another year, until 15 November 2026. |
| Secretary-General’s Reports | |
| 15 October 2025S/2025/649 | This was the Secretary-General’s report on UNISFA. |
| Security Council Letters | |
| 18 August 2025S/2025/518 | This was UNISFA’s strategic review, mandated by resolution 2760. |
