Negotiations on UNISFA Resolution
Council members are in the process of negotiating a renewal of the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA). It seems likely that the resolution will be passed in the coming days, as the current mandate of the mission expires on Monday, 26 December (a UN holiday). While some Council members appear to have minor differences on the text, it seems that there is agreement on most of the major issues, including the need for both Sudan and South Sudan to cooperate on border security arrangements.
It is likely that the mission will be renewed for five months, seemingly in keeping with the Council’s efforts to stagger mandate renewals. (The original UNISFA mandate was for six months.)
Last week, on 14 December, the Council adopted resolution 2024 which expanded UNISFA’s mandate to include a border monitoring support mechanism. The resolution gives UNISFA a number of additional tasks in support of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM). These tasks include assisting the parties to adhere to prior security commitments regarding a safe demilitarised border zone and supporting operational tasks of the JBVMM, such as monitoring, verification, reporting, information sharing and patrols.
