What's In Blue

Latest post: Wed 13 Nov 2024

Insights on the work of the UN Security Council

UN Interim Security Force for Abyei: Vote on Mandate Renewal Resolution

Tomorrow (14 November), the Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) for another year, until 15 November 2025. (Abyei is the disputed area along the Sudan-South Sudan border.) The draft text also extends the mission’s support for the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM), established in 2011 to conduct monitoring and verification activities along the Sudan/South Sudan border until 15 November 2025.

The US, the penholder on Abyei, circulated an initial draft of the text on 29 October and convened one round of negotiations on 6 November. After receiving comments, the US circulated a revised draft on Monday (11 November) and placed it under silence procedure until mid-day yesterday (12 November). China, Russia, and the “A3 plus” members (Algeria, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Guyana) broke silence, after which several members submitted additional comments. The penholder made further revisions to the draft resolution and put it directly in blue later today (13 November).

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