UN Security Council sets up peacekeeping force for Sudan's Abyei

[News_Editor]

UN Security Council sets up peacekeeping force for Sudan's Abyei

2011-06-28 05:18:00 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations Security Council on Monday established a peacekeeping force for the area around Sudan's Abyei which has been the scene of fighting between north and south forces.

The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) was set up for an initial six months under UN Security Council resolution 1990. It will safeguard the area disputed by both sides. The Council decided to establish a peacekeeping force after violence erupted in the region in recent weeks.

Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) took control of the area last month, just weeks ahead of before Southern Sudan formally separates from the rest of the country, following a referendum held in January in which millions of residents voted in favor of separating from the rest of the African nation.

In response, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), representing Southern Sudan began fighting with the SAF displacing nearly 113,000 people from the region due to violence and looting, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The dispute escalated after the referendum on Abyei's status never took place amidst disagreements on voter eligibility. The referendum was seen as the culminating point of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which officially ended the long north-south civil war in Sudan.

"The United States commends the swift passage of UN Security Council resolution 1990," said U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton. "The approval of this force is a critical step in implementing the June 20 agreement signed by the parties."

Last week, Sudan and Southern Sudan signed an agreement effectively ending the conflict by demilitarizing the area and establishing an administration and police service in the Abyei.

UNISFA was mandated to ensure that the area is demilitarized from any forces other than those of the UN and the Abyei Police Service, provide de-mining assistance, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and free movement of humanitarian personnel.

The UN peacekeeping force will consist in 4200 Ethiopian soldiers. The force was authorized to take all necessary actions to protect UN and UNISFA personnel, facilities, installations and equipment, protect civilians in Abyei under imminent threat of physical violence and protect the area from incursions by unauthorized elements.

On June 3, the UN Security Council demanded the Sudanese Armed Forces to withdraw from Abyei and an immediate halt to all looting, burning, and illegal resettlement. The Council said that the presence of SAF troops represented a serious violation of previous agreements, including the 2005 CPA.

"While the United States welcomes this Security Council resolution regarding Abyei, we remain deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis in Southern Kordofan," added Clinton. "Tens of thousands of people have been driven from their homes, and there are reports of very serious human rights abuses and violence targeting individuals based on their ethnicity and political affiliation."

The Sudanese state of Southern Kordofan has been the scene of heavy fighting between the northern SAF and its southern counterpart SPLA. In addition, UN staff and humanitarian personnel have been prevented from providing Sudanese people with the necessary aid.

Furthermore, four UN peacekeepers were detained and abused by SAF members earlier this month. The UN condemned the act against its staff members who were on patrol in Kadugli, the main town in Southern Kordofan. Only two of them have been freed.

"We call on the Sudanese government to release them immediately and cease any harassment and intimidation of UN personnel in Southern Kordofan. We urge the parties to reach an immediate ceasefire and to provide aid workers with the unfettered access required to deliver humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians affected by the conflict," concluded the U.S. Secretary of State.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-06-28

[Steely Dan]

It may upset the sensibilities of many well meaning but naive sorts who believe in multiculturalism, but the sooner Sudan is divided geographically by basis or religion the better things will be for the Christian South and no doubt those in the North who are neither female nor homosexual.

http://in.christiantoday.com/articles/bishop-fears-genocide-in-sudan/6374.htm

UN officials and eyewitnesses escaping the bloodshed tell of elders being executed by the Sudanese Army and bombing campaigns that have destroyed churches and homes.

With Khartoum ordering the UN peacekeeping mission out, there are serious concerns that atrocities will spiral unchecked across the state of South Kordofan.

“Once again we are facing the nightmare of genocide of our people in a final attempt to erase our culture and society from the face of the earth,” said Bishop Elnail.