The Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), Major General Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, has concluded official visits to Sudan and South Sudan, where he met with senior government officials and international partners to discuss political and security developments in Abyei and strengthen cooperation in support of the implementation of UNISFA's mandate.
During the visits, the Governments expressed support for UNISFA mandate and indicated their continuing commitment to dialogue, including the holding of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM), a key bilateral platform for advancing border security cooperation and stability in the Abyei area. Major General Shrestha reaffirmed UNISFA’s commitment to continued engagement with both governments to support dialogue on shared security challenges, including the resumption of the JPSM.
"UNISFA remains committed to working with both Sudan and South Sudan to support dialogue and cooperation in the interest of lasting peace and stability," Major General Ganesh Kumar Shrestha said.
A key focus of the discussions was the demilitarization of the Abyei Area and ongoing efforts to maintain it as a weapon-free zone, in accordance with the Mission's mandate and Security Council Benchmarks. Major General Shrestha emphasized the importance of the withdrawal of all unauthorized armed forces and armed elements from the Abyei Area and reiterated UNISFA's continued engagement with the parties to facilitate this process.
He also underscored the importance of fully implementing UNISFA’s mandate, as provided for under the existing agreements, to strengthen law and order and help create the conditions for long-term peace and stability.
“These engagements with our partners constitute an encouraging step in our joint effort towards progress on the benchmarks and our next report to the Security Council,” he added.
While in South Sudan, Major General Shrestha also met with representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) to discuss preparedness measures related to the Ebola situation in the region. Discussions focused on the readiness of WHO personnel to support UNISFA and the communities of Abyei, should the need arise, through coordinated public health preparedness and response efforts.
The visit reflects the UNISFA’s continued commitment to supporting dialogue, reducing tensions and working with regional and international partners to advance peace, security and stability in the Abyei Area.