United Nations Security Council Resolution 2609 – Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan

Resolution 2609 (2021)

The Security Council,

Reaffirming all previous resolutions and Presidential statements concerning the situation in Abyei and along the border between Sudan and South Sudan and underlining the importance of full compliance with and implementation of these,

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Sudan and South Sudan, and to the purposes and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and recalling the importance of the principles of good neighbourliness, non-interference and regional cooperation,

Reiterating that the territorial boundaries of States shall not be altered by force, and that any territorial disputes shall be settled exclusively by peaceful means, affirming the priority it attaches to the full and urgent implementation of all outstanding issues from the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), underscoring that the future status of Abyei shall be resolved by negotiations between the parties in a manner consistent with the CPA and not by the unilateral actions of either party, and recalling prior agreements on the administration and security of the Abyei Area,

Welcoming continued cooperation between the Government of the Republic of the Sudan and Government of the Republic of South Sudan in support of peace, security and stability, including with regard to the Juba Peace Agreement and the high-level discussions between Sudan and South Sudan in August 2021, and the convening of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM) 8–9 September 2021 and 21 October 2021, and encouraging that such meetings and those of other joint mechanisms take place on a consistent basis,

Encouraging the African Union, the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), and the United Nations Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa to intensify their mediation roles with the Governments of South Sudan and Sudan to encourage them to establish temporary administrative and security arrangements for Abyei and to achieve a political solution for the status o f Abyei, and commending the assistance provided to the parties by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA),

Acknowledging that over the course of the ten years since establishment of UNISFA, the mission has contributed towards the stabilization and demilitarization of the Abyei Area and together with the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) played a stabilizing role along the borders between South Sudan and Sudan,

Expressing grave concern over recent developments in Gok Machar, South Sudan, including threats to the safety and security of peacekeepers which resulted in the death of a peacekeeper from Ethiopia on 14 September 2021, undermining the ability of UNISFA to support the JBVMM, stressing that the host states have the primary responsibility to ensure safety, security, and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel and assets per their obligations under the Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA), and urging South Sudan to intensify its outreach to the local community in Gok Machar to facilitate redeployment of UNISFA personnel to their previous locations,

Underlining that over the course of ten years the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan have not made progress establishing joint institutions in Abyei, and encouraging Sudan and South Sudan to engage in substantive dialogue that can advance the political process for resolution of the Abyei dispute,

Expressing concern over crime in the Abyei Area, and further expressing concern that the delayed deployment of UN police to the level authorized by the Council prevents UNISFA from fulfilling its security mandate and holds the potential to create a security vacuum in Abyei, and further expressing concern about Sudan and South Sudan’s efforts to impede UNISFA from fully executing its mandate,

Commending the efforts of UNISFA in its attempts to carry out its mandate effectively, including by its ongoing facilitation of peaceful migration throughout t he Abyei Area, conflict prevention, mediation and deterrence, and expressing grave concern about the security threats and targeted attacks against United Nations peacekeepers in UNISFA, strongly underscoring the unacceptability of any attack on United Nations personnel, and reiterating that such attacks, which may constitute war crimes, should be swiftly and thoroughly investigated, and that those responsible should be held to account,

Noting the 17 September 2021 letter of the Secretary-General (S/2021/805), proposing detailed recommendations for the reconfiguration of the mission,

Bearing in mind that people in the Abyei Area continue to rely on humanitarian assistance, that access for humanitarian organizations to reach people in need remains of crucial importance, and that humanitarian actors continue to provide assistance to 210,000 people in the Abyei Area, and further bearing in mind that support to livelihoods and resilience at the community level are critical to ending conflict driven by food insecurity,

Recalling resolutions 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security and emphasizing that persistent barriers to full implementation of these resolutions will only be dismantled through dedicated commitment to women’s empowerment, participation, and human rights, and through concerted leadership, consistent information and action, and support,

Recognizing that the current situation in Abyei and along the border between Sudan and South Sudan continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security,

Adopted by the Security Council at its 8932nd meeting, on 15 December 2021.