South Sudan says Sudan war affects joint border monitoring mechanisms
March 21, 2025 (JUBA) – South Sudan said Thursday that Sudan’s war has affected activities of the joint border monitoring and verification mechanisms, allowing non-state actors to exploit the situation and turn porous border lines into hide outs.
“Before the eruption of the conflict in Sudan, there was a joint political and security monitoring and verification mechanisms. They were the channels through which and from which information about the activities of anybody outside the organs of the states were obtained. These bodies have now stopped meeting regularly because of the situation in Sudan,” explained chief of the defense forces of South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), General Paul Nang Majok.
He added, “The only body active now is the United Nations interim security force for Abyei. But it was supposed to provide whatever information it obtains from their activities to these mechanisms”.
Gen Majok commended the role of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM), a part of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) which monitors the Safe De-Militarized Border Zone (SDBZ) along the Sudan-South Sudan border, conducting patrols, security monitoring, verification, and investigation activities.
The JBVMM was established in 2011 by the United Nations Security Council to conduct monitoring and verification activities along the Sudan-South Sudan border, particularly within the Safe De-militarized Border Zone (SDBZ)
“There is no problem on our side. We are continuing to participate in the joint border verification and monitoring mechanism. We have representatives in Kadugli in Sudan and other representatives in Abyei at the headquarters of the United Nations interim security force for Abyei. As you know the mandate is clear and their activities are to Patrols and security monitoring within the SDBZ. They also do Verification and investigation of incidents as well as liaison and coordination with relevant authorities. It is also their mandate to report, share and exchange information as it is in their mandate”, stressed Majok.
The SDBZ, established in September 2012, is a 10 km zone on either side of the center line along the Sudan-South Sudan border. Due to the war in Sudan and political uncertainty in South Sudan, armed dissidents in South Sudan and Sudan have exploited the absence of the Sudanese army and SSPDF at the border lines.
Some of the armed dissidents are taking advantage of the conflict in Sudan and political uncertainty in South Sudan to use the safe demilitarize buffer zone as the safe haven for their activities, usually crossing international boundary lines in violation of the international law and undermining sovereignty and territorial integrity.
(ST)