Alor Koul, chief administrator for Abyei, reacted positively Monday to word that the United Nations Security Council extended the mandate for Abyei for six months, but cautioned that renewing the U.N. mandate will not alone solve the dispute between Sudan and South Sudan over who controls the area.
The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on Thursday to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and urged Khartoum, Juba and local communities to take all necessary steps to ensure that the area is effectively demilitarized and to fully cooperate with UNISFA.
Yousif Malok, who is from the Ngok Dinka, and heads the Abyei Civil Society in Sudan, said he is not optimistic about UNISFA’s role in the region, saying the U.N. mission failed in the past to protect lives and property in the Abyei area.
Under the terms of U.N. resolution 2519, the Council extended the mandate for activities in the area bordering Sudan and South Sudan and reiterated its demand for both countries to provide full support for the mission, including removing any obstacles hindering efforts to protect civilians.
The Security Council first authorized the deployment of a peacekeeping force to Abyei in June 2011 following renewed violence, escalating tensions and population displacement in the area as Southern Sudan prepared to formally declare its independence from the Sudan.
