Security Council Extends Modified Mandate of United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2412 (2018)
The Security Council extended until 15 October 2018 a modification to the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) as laid out in two resolutions from 2011 and 2014, agreeing that it would be the final such extension until the parties took several measurable steps related to the contested border area.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2412 (2018), the Council renewed the modifications set forth in resolution 2024 (2011) and paragraph 1 of resolution 2075 (2012), both relating to UNISFA’s support for a Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism.
By its terms, the Council decided the extension would be the final until the parties took action leading to progress on border demarcation, specifically: Maintaining standing clearance for all UNISFA air and ground patrols, including landing within the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone, and maintaining approval for 100 per cent of requested sorties no later than 72 hours after the requests are delivered; finalizing an agreement on the four Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism team sites; and convening at least two meetings of the parties in order to withdraw from the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone.
Other actions included making progress to establish several Phase I border crossing corridors and opening two additional corridors across the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone; and holding at least two meetings of the Joint Border Commission and Joint Demarcation Committee.
The Council also decided to maintain UNISFA’s authorized troop ceiling of 4,791 until 15 October 2018, and further that, as of that date, the ceiling would decrease to 4,250, unless the Council decided to extend the mandate modification.
The meeting began at 10:07 a.m. and ended at 10:09 a.m.
Resolution
The full text of resolution 2412 (2018) reads as follows:
“The Security Council,
“Recalling its previous resolutions and its presidential statements on the situation in Sudan and South Sudan, and in particular, resolutions 1990 (2011), 2024 (2011), 2032 (2011), 2046 (2012), 2047 (2012), 2075 (2012), 2104 (2013), 2126 (2013), 2156 (2014), 2179 (2014), 2205 (2015), 2230 (2015), 2251 (2015), 2287 (2016), 2318 (2016), 2352 (2017), and 2386 (2017), as well as presidential statements S/PRST/2012/19 and S/PRST/2013/14, and the Council’s press statements of 18 June 2012, 21 September 2012, 28 September 2012, 6 May 2013, 14 June 2013, 14 February 2014, 17 March 2014, 11 December 2014, and 27 November 2015,
“Welcoming the progress made towards the implementation of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM), as well as the positive momentum it has generated between the parties, while noting that measures set out in paragraph 9 of resolution 2386 (2017) have not yet been fully and completely achieved, and calling on the parties to fulfil these measures without delay,
“Stressing the need for the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to fully implement the JBVMM, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2046 (2012) and the African Union Peace and Security Council Roadmap of 24 April 2012 and the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM) Communique of 31 October 2017,
“Commending the continued assistance provided to the parties by the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) and the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA),
“Taking note of the 3 April 2018 Secretary-General’s report (S/2018/293),
“Recognizing that the current situation in Abyei and along the border between the Sudan and South Sudan continues to constitute a serious threat to international peace and security,
“1. Decides to extend until 15 October 2018 UNISFA’s mandate modification set forth in resolution 2024 (2011) and paragraph 1 of resolution 2075 (2012), and further decides that this shall be the final such extension unless the parties take the specific measures described in paragraph 3;
“2. Decides to maintain UNISFA’s authorized troop ceiling of 4,791 until 15 October 2018, and further decides that as of 15 October 2018, the authorized troop ceiling shall decrease to 4,250, unless it decides to extend the mandate modification set forth in resolution 2024 (2011) and paragraph 1 of resolution 2075 (2012), in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 3;
“3. Determines that both parties should also demonstrate measurable progress on border demarcation, specifically:
(1) Maintain standing clearance for all UNISFA air and ground patrols, including landing within the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ), and maintain approval for 100 percent of requested sorties no later than 72 hours after the requests are delivered, in order to facilitate full freedom of movement for UNISFA and the JBVMM,
(2) Finalize agreement of the four JBVMM team sites, and holding a meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on the 14 mile area, to agree to the location of the team site near Safaha/Kiir Adem,
(3) Convene at least two meetings of the JPSM and for both parties to withdraw from the SDBZ,
(4) Make further progress to establish Phase I border crossing corridors between Sudan and South Sudan, including finalizing the opening of the the Kosti-El Renk corridor,
(5) Open two additional corridors from among the ten identified crossings in the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ) in line with the directives of AUHIP and JPSM, and finalize a plan for the opening of the remaining border crossings,
(6) Hold at least two meetings of the Joint Border Commission and Joint Demarcation Committee, finalize the Joint Demarcation Committee’s report to the Joint Border Commission, discuss border demarcation of the agreed sections of the boundary per the 5 March JPSM decision, and resume border demarcation discussions including negotiations on the disputed areas within the framework of the signed agreements,
“4. Requests the Secretary-General to inform it of progress in implementing any steps taken per paragraph 3 as well as paragraph 9 of resolution 2386 (2017) no later than 15 September 2018;
“5. Decides to remain actively seized of this matter.”