United Nations Security Council Resolution 2630 – Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan (UNISFA)

Resolution 2630 (2022)

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 final 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, and noting the efforts of both Governments to support each other’s peace processes, encouraging meetings of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism and those of other joint mechanisms to take place on a consistent basis, and urging the parties to make progress establishing temporary administrative and security arrangements for Abyei,

Encouraging the African Union, the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), and the UN 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 strongly encourage them to establish temporary administrative and security arrangements for Abyei as stipulated in the 2011 Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Sudan and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area and achieve a political solution for the final status of Abyei, and commending the continued assistance provided to the parties by the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA),

Expressing deep concern over recent violence in the Abyei Area, urging an immediate cessation of violence, and the facilitation of full, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access, stressing, in this regard, the importance of UNISFA initiatives to support community dialogue and efforts by the Misseriya, Ngok Dinka, and all other communities, such as local peace committees and the Joint Traditional Leaders Peace Conference, to strengthen intercommunal relationships and facilitate stability and reconciliation in the Abyei Area, and UNISFA efforts to promote the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in these processes in line with resolution 1325 (2000) and related resolutions, encouraging UNISFA to coordinate with the Juba-appointed administration in Abyei, the Misseriya administration in Muglad, and the Khartoum-appointed administration, using appropriate civilian expertise, to maintain stability, foster intercommunal reconciliation, and facilitate the return of displaced persons to their villages and the delivery of services, and welcoming the Abyei UN Joint Programme Initiative supported by the Sudan and South Sudan United Nations Country Teams,

Expressing grave concern about the security threats and recent 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,

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 240,000 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,

Taking note of the 14 April 2022 report of the Secretary-General (S/2022/316),

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,

1. Decides to extend until 15 November 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 United Nations, further decides to extend until 15 November 2022 the tasks of UNISFA as set out in paragraph 3 of resolution 1990 (2011), and further decides that UNISFA should continue to implement that mandate and tasks in accordance with resolution 2609 (2021);

2. Decides to extend until 15 November 2022 UNISFA’s mandate modification set forth in resolution 2024 (2011) and paragraph 1 of resolution 2075 (2012), which provides for UNISFA’s support to the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM), and further decides that UNISFA should continue to implement that mandate and tasks in accordance with resolution 2609 (2021);

3. Maintains the authorized troop and police ceilings as set out in paragraphs 4 and 5 of resolution 2609 (2021) and expresses its intention to remain seized of the recommendations in the 17 September 2021 letter of the Secretary-General (S/2021/805);

4. Urges the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to provide full support for UNISFA in the implementation of its mandate and deployment of UNISFA personnel, removing any obstacles that hinder UNISFA’s mandate to protect civilians in Abyei, ensuring the safety, security, and freedom of movement of the United Nations personnel and assets, in line with their primary responsibility as host states and the Status of Forces Agreements, and facilitating UNISFA’s provision of food, medicine, and other supplies to its personnel;

5. Urges the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to facilitate the smooth functioning of all UNISFA bases and JBVMM team sites and to enable an environment of mutual cooperation for UNISFA and its partners to conduct their work, further urges South Sudan to intensify its outreach to the local community to facilitate redeployment of UNISFA personnel to their previous locations including Gok Machar, and requests the Secretary-General, consistent with resolution 2609 (2021), to ensure UNISFA’s use of confidence-building, facilitation, mediation, community engagement, and strategic communications to support implementation of the mission’s mandate and the mission’s protection, information gathering, and situational awareness activities, and to counter disinformation and misinformation that might hinder the mission’s ability to implement its mandate and the mandate of the JBVMM;

6. Reiterates that the Abyei Area shall be demilitarized from any forces, as well as armed elements of the local communities, other than UNISFA and the Abyei Police Service, and urges the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan and the local communities to take all necessary steps to ensure that Abyei is effectively demilitarized and to extend full cooperation to UNISFA in this regard;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to inform the Security Council of progress in implementing UNISFA’s mandate as set out in paragraph 34 of resolution 2609 (2021), in particular concerning progress with the increase in police, appointment of a civilian Deputy Head of Mission, usage of Athony airport, and the issuance of visas to support implementation of the mandate, as well as on progress on the issues described in paragraph 5 of this resolution, with a written report no later than 15 October 2022;

8. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

Adopted by the Security Council at its 9031st meeting, on 12 May 2022.