South Sudan: Ethiopia Warns Withdrawing Supporting Abyei Peacekeeping
Mission
18 May 2014
Juba - The Ethiopian government has warned it may not continue to provide
military support to the peacekeeping mission in the oil producing Abyei
region, which is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan.
According to an internal report by the United Nations, which Sudan Tribune
has seen, the Ethiopian government said it would reconsider its military
commitment should both sides to the conflict fail to resolve their
differences and take complete responsibility of the area.
"If recommitment by both governments is not made, then Ethiopia will
reconsider its military commitment", notes the Secretary General of the
United Nations' report.
The latest report covers the challenges with which the mission continues to
grapple and presents the results of the United Nations' strategic review of
the mission that was conducted in April.
During the review, it adds, the Ethiopian government made it clear that
unless Sudan and South Sudan begin to make progress on the joint management
arrangements for Abyei, Ethiopia does not want to continue to provide
troops.
The warning comes as the United Nations Security Council prepares to review
the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA), the
majority of which is provided by the government of Ethiopia.
It is expected that the Security Council will convene a closed consultation
on Sudan and South Sudan on 19 May during which members are expected to come
to a decision on renewing the mandate of the UNISFA on 22 May, or endorse
the position of the Ethiopia government.
The Ethiopian government had stated that joint management of Abyei has
become unsustainable as neither party had respected the terms of the
agreement they made when the mission was established. It called on the
African Union and United Nations to make a more concerted effort to revive
the political process to set up the joint management arrangements.
South Sudan's foreign affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, told Sudan
Tribune on Saturday that his government remains committed to fully
implementing the September 2012 proposal as the basis for resolving the
conflict over the area.
"The government of the republic of South Sudan under the leadership of
President Salva Kiir has already made assurances of our commitment to fully
implement the September 21, 2012, proposal by the African Union High
Implementation Panel, as the basis of resolving the difference over this
area", Benjamin said in an exclusive interview on Saturday.
The minister sidestepped the questions about what his government would do
should the Ethiopian government withdraw its military support to UNISFA.