Abyei, November 06 (Darfur24)
The United Nations has warned that drone attacks in Abyei have added a new and worrying dimension to the region’s fragile security situation, amid growing concerns over the spillover effects of the conflict in Sudan.
Speaking to the UN Security Council, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the attacks last October, alongside violence around the Amiet market on September 15, highlighted the fragile security environment in which the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) operates.
Lacroix said the incidents occurred despite an overall improvement in security indicators, with the number of reported security incidents during the latest reporting period falling by about 32 per cent compared with the same period in 2025. He also noted that the migration season had ended without cattle-related violence or deaths.
He said the UN continued to support efforts to strengthen the rule of law and local peacebuilding structures, but warned that these gains should not overshadow persistent challenges. Developments linked to the war in Sudan and the security situation in South Sudan are increasingly affecting local dynamics in Abyei.
Political developments
Lacroix also highlighted the resumption of high-level talks between Sudan and South Sudan, including the 17th meeting of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism, held in Juba on August 10. It was the first meeting of the mechanism since January 2023.
He said UNISFA was making tangible progress but faced an increasingly complex operating environment, stressing that the mission needed continued support from the Security Council to carry out its mandate effectively.
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Guang Cong, said the main challenge in Abyei extended beyond local tensions to protecting the recently revived bilateral dialogue between Sudan and South Sudan from the effects of the war in Sudan and political pressures in South Sudan.
Cong warned that recent drone attacks were worsening an already difficult humanitarian situation in Abyei.
He said more than 50,000 people, including returnees from South Sudan, Sudanese refugees and other asylum seekers, had crossed into South Sudan through the Abyei region.
On tensions surrounding the announcement of Abyei’s participation in upcoming elections in South Sudan, Cong said he had met senior officials from both countries and urged them to exercise restraint and resolve their differences peacefully.
He added that both governments had reiterated their commitment to keeping Abyei demilitarised and free of weapons, and to resolving outstanding issues through dialogue.
Conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile
Cong also raised concerns about the impact of the war on civilians in Sudan’s South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
He said simultaneous escalation in the two states reflected an ongoing struggle for territorial control and influence over border areas and supply routes.
He warned that further delays in implementing the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the 2011 Interim Arrangements could deepen public frustration, weaken community and inter-state relations, worsen cross-border insecurity and trigger renewed violence in Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
