The United States has issued a stern warning that it may oppose the renewal of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Abyei, a disputed region between Sudan and South Sudan, unless both nations show genuine commitment to the 2011 peace agreement that ended years of conflict.
Speaking during a UN Security Council session on Wednesday, US Ambassador Mike Waltz stated that Washington’s support for the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) would depend on the two countries’ actions toward implementing their past commitments. The mandate for the peacekeeping mission is set to expire on November 15.
“We recognize that Sudan and South Sudan are facing historic and significant internal challenges and instability. It does not absolve authorities of their responsibility to implement their key commitments under the 2011 peace agreement,” Waltz said.
He further stressed that “Sudan and South Sudan must now uphold their commitment to the 2011 peace agreement and UNISFA’s mandate to secure the United States’ support of this renewal.”
According to the ambassador, the US expects both governments to ensure that Abyei remains a demilitarized zone, establish temporary administrative and security frameworks such as a joint police force, and take steps to determine the region’s final political status.
Abyei’s status has remained unresolved since South Sudan’s independence in 2011, and despite several peace initiatives, clashes continue to erupt in the oil-rich border area. Thousands of UN peacekeepers are currently deployed under UNISFA to help maintain stability.
However, the situation on the ground remains tense. Sudan is engulfed in a brutal civil war, and UN officials have repeatedly raised concerns about the presence of South Sudanese forces and Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—both of which are not supposed to be in the demilitarized zone.
“The people of Abyei have been waiting 14 years for the establishment of the temporary administrative and security arrangements, including the Joint Abyei police service and a determination of Abyei’s final status,” Waltz noted.
He cautioned that the continued inaction and deliberate undermining of the peace process by both countries “raises serious doubts for the United States about continuing its support for UNISFA’s mandate, unless Sudan and South Sudan demonstrate immediate and tangible progress.”
Since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, the United States has taken a tougher stance on UN operations, cutting back its financial contributions to the peacekeeping budget and advocating for reforms. In recent months, Washington has used its veto power in the Security Council to push for the termination of the UN mission in Lebanon by 2027 and to scale back the UN’s political mission in Colombia.
What You Should Know
Abyei remains one of Africa’s most contested regions, caught between Sudan and South Sudan since the latter’s independence in 2011.
The UN peacekeeping mission (UNISFA) was created to prevent renewed violence, but progress toward a final settlement has stalled. The US is now pressuring both nations to fulfill their peace deal obligations or risk losing international peacekeeping support.
