By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN Interim Security Force for Abyei on Thursday said that it will evacuate its logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan, in the wake of the “heinous attack” this past weekend that killed 6 Bangladeshi peacekeepers and seriously injured 8 others.
The Mission said in a statement that “The decision, which was communicated to the relevant authorities, follows an extensive assessment of the prevailing security situation in Kadugli which has disabled the capacity for the UN to function in the area”.
UNISFA was established in 2011 in Abyei, the disputed oil-rich region between Sudan and South Sudan.
Its mandate includes monitoring and verifying the redeployment of forces from the region, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, and protecting civilians.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Pobee told the Security Council that progress on the political track has been slow since the start of the Sudan war in 2023 and increasing political stability in South Sudan.
She also said the operational environment in Kadugli “has become untenable” and the fighting was putting peacekeepers at risk.
UNISFA underlined commitment to the implementation of the mandate of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM).
The Mission is “closely monitoring the developments on the ground” and “will reconsider the resumption of our activities in Kadugli when the situation permits.”
