Security Council to vote on draft UNISFA resolution on May 12

May 9, 2022 (NEW YORK) – Members of the United Nations Security Council expected to vote on a draft resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) on Thursday this week.

UNISFA was established through Security Council Resolution 1990 of June 27, 2011. Resolution 1990 made provision for the deployment of 4,200 Ethiopian troops to provide security and protect civilians under threat of violence in the disputed region.

However, on 15 December 2021, UN Security Council Resolution 2609 (2021) extended until 15 May 2022 the mandate of UNISFA as set out in paragraph 2 of resolution 1990 (2011) and acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the UN.

The resolution also reduced the authorized troop ceiling to 3,250 until 15 May 2022 and maintained the authorized police ceiling at 640 police personnel, including 148 individual police officers and three formed police units.

The Council is also expected to extend the mission’s support for the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) tasked to conduct monitoring and verification activities along the Sudan/South Sudan border.

The mandate of UNISFA and the mission’s support for the JBVMM expire on 15 May.

(ST)