Security Council Press Statement on Violence in South Sudan and Abyei

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President José Javier de la Gasca Lopezdominguez (Ecuador):

The members of the Security Council strongly condemn the violence in Warrap State, South Sudan, and southern Abyei Administrative Area that has claimed approximately 75 lives in November 2023 and 10 lives in Abyei in early December 2023.

The members of the Security Council note with grave concern the continued presence of some forces as well as armed elements of the local communities in Abyei and reiterate that the Abyei Area be fully demilitarized without delay, recalling in this regard the 2011 Agreement and relevant Security Council resolutions.

The members of the Security Council echo the calls of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, stressing the need for the transitional government of South Sudan to investigate the killings and attacks on civilians in Warrap and the Abyei Area.  They call on the transitional government of South Sudan to contain the violence and defuse tension between the affected communities.

The members of the Security Council underscore the important role the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) should play in the protection of civilians, including refugees, and in supporting community dialogue and facilitating reconciliation, and with the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism in support of achieving peace, security and stability in Abyei and the broader region.