Security Council Resolution 2251 (2015) [on Extension of the Mandate of the Un Interim Security Force for Abyei (Unisfa) Until 15 May 2016]

S/RES/2251 (2015)View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Security Council, under agenda item 217 Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan and South Sudan, published in 2015.

What other versions does this mandate have?

10 versions · 2012–2021

This is an older version — the most recent is S/RES/2609 (2021)

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2021	S/RES/2609 (2021)	Security Council resolution 2609 (2021) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until 15 May 2022]	—	—
2020	S/RES/2550 (2020)	Security Council resolution 2550 (2020) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until 15 May 2021]	—	—
2019	S/RES/2497 (2019)	Security Council resolution 2497 (2019) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until 15 May 2020]	—	—
2018	S/RES/2445 (2018)	Security Council resolution 2445 (2018) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until 15 May 2019]	—	—
2017	S/RES/2386 (2017)	Security Council resolution 2386 (2017) [on extension of the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until 15 May 2018]	—	—

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

12 reports · 2013–2022

Year	Symbol	Title	Mandate resolution
2022	S/2022/316	Situation in Abyei report of the Secretary-General	S/RES/2609 (2021)
2021	S/2021/383	Situation in Abyei report of the Secretary-General	S/RES/2550 (2020)
2020	S/2020/1019	Situation in Abyei report of the Secretary-General	S/RES/2497 (2019)
2020	S/2020/308	The situation in Abyei report of the Secretary-General	S/RES/2497 (2019)
2018	S/2018/293	Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Abyei	S/RES/2386 (2017)

What subjects does this mandate have?

14 subjects

Abyei (Sudan)Boundaries Coordination Within UN System Demilitarized Zones Gender-Based Violence Human Rights Monitoring Internal Security Military Personnel Mine Clearance Peacekeeping Operations Police Relief Personnel South Sudan Sudan

What’s in this document?

29 operative paragraphs

Decides to extend until 15 May 2016 the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) as set out in paragraph 2 of resolution 1990 (2011) and modified by resolution 2024 (2011) and paragraph 1 of resolution 2075 (2012), and acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, further decides to extend until 15 May 2016 the tasks of UNISFA as set out in paragraph 3 of resolution 1990 (2011), and determines that for the purposes of paragraph 1 of resolution 2024 (2011), support to the operational activities of the JBVMM shall include support to the Ad Hoc Committees, as appropriate when so requested by consensual decisions of these mechanisms, within UNISFA’s operational area and existing capabilities;

Takes note of the stated intention by both sides to hold another AJOC meeting, regrets the meeting has not yet taken place, and urges the swift resumption of regular meetings to ensure steady progress on the implementation of the 20 June 2011 Agreement, including the implementation of the AJOC decisions, welcomes African Union initiatives to support this goal and encourages its continued engagement, and requests the Secretary-General to provide an assessment of progress on these issues in his regular reports;

Underscores that continued cooperation between the Government of Sudan and Government of South Sudan is also critical for peace, security and stability and the future relations between them;

Further reiterates its demand that Sudan and South Sudan urgently commence the establishment of the Abyei Area Administration and Council, including by resolving the deadlock over the composition of the Council, and constitute the Abyei Police Service, to enable it to take over policing functions throughout the Abyei Area, including the protection of oil infrastructure, in accordance with their commitments in the 20 June 2011 Agreement;

Expresses renewed concern regarding the delays and stalled efforts to fully operationalize the JBVMM, takes note of the Secretary-General’s benchmarks and recommendations regarding JBVMM operations, takes note that continued investment in achieving full operational capability of the JBVMM should be based on a set of conditions, including resolution of the dispute over the SDBZ, resumption of border demarcation discussions, occurrence of regular meetings of the JPSM, and granting of full freedom of movement, and calls on both parties to demonstrate full commitment to implementation of their border arrangements and take the necessary steps to this effect, including by swiftly holding a new meeting of the JPSM to take the operational decisions related to their agreement on the SDBZ;

Decides to maintain the troops authorized by resolution 2104 (2013) already deployed, and that the remaining authorized forces continue to be deployed dependent on the evolution of the JBVMM, to enable UNISFA to provide required force protection to the JBVMM and to enable UNISFA to fully support the JBVMM to conduct extended operations into the SDBZ as soon as possible, and requests the Secretary-General to keep the Council fully updated on the status of deployment as part of his regular reporting cycle;

Calls upon the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan to make timely and effective use of the JBVMM, JPSM and other agreed joint mechanisms to ensure the security and transparency of the SDBZ, including the “14 Mile Area”;

Urges renewed efforts to determine conclusively the SDBZ centreline on the ground, and reiterates that the centreline of the SDBZ in no way prejudices the current or future legal status of the border, ongoing negotiations on the disputed and claimed areas, and demarcation of the borders;

Underscores that UNISFA’s protection of civilians mandate as set out in paragraph 3 of resolution 1990 (2011) includes taking the necessary actions to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence, irrespective of the source of such violence;

Condemns the intermittent presence of South Sudan security service personnel and the deployment of Diffra Oil Police units in the Abyei Area, in violation of the 20 June 2011 agreement, as well as any entry of armed militias into the territory, and reiterates its demands that immediately and without preconditions the Government of South Sudan fully redeploy its security service personnel from the Abyei Area and that the Government of Sudan redeploy the Oil Police in Diffra from the Abyei Area, and further reiterates, in accordance with relevant resolutions, in particular resolution 1990 (2011) and resolution 2046 (2012), 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;

Supports the AJOC’s 3 May 2013 and 30 March 2015 decisions on Abyei’s status as a weapons-free area, underscores the AUPSC’s concern in its 7 May 2013 Communiqué over reports that various communities living in Abyei are heavily armed, recalls that the 20 June 2011 Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area stipulates that Abyei should be a weapons-free area and that only UNISFA is authorized to carry weapons inside the area, and in this regard, urges the two Governments to take all necessary steps to ensure that Abyei is effectively demilitarized, including through disarmament programs as necessary;

Reaffirms that UNISFA may undertake weapons confiscation and destruction in the Abyei Area as authorized under resolution 1990 (2011), consistent with its mandate and within its existing capabilities, in coordination with the signatories of the June 2011 Agreement on the Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area, the AJOC, and the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities and consistent with the previous AJOC decision to establish the Area as a “weapons free area”, and reiterates its request that UNISFA, observe, document and report on the movement of weapons into Abyei and the presence, destruction and confiscation of weapons within Abyei as part of the Secretary-General’s regular reporting cycle;

Requests UNISFA to continue its dialogue with the AJOC and with the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities on effective strategies and oversight mechanisms for ensuring full compliance by all relevant parties with Abyei’s status as a weapons-free area, with a particular priority placed on the urgent elimination of heavy or crew-served weapons, as well as rocket-propelled grenades, and calls upon the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan, the AJOC, and the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities to extend full cooperation to UNISFA in this regard;

Urges the two Governments immediately to take steps to implement confidence-building measures among the respective communities in the Abyei Area, including through reconciliation processes at the grass-roots level and supporting UNISFA in promoting community dialogue, urges the planned convening of a meeting between the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya traditional leaders, and strongly urges all Abyei communities to exercise maximum restraint in all their engagements and to desist from inflammatory acts or statements that may lead to violent clashes;

Welcomes UNISFA initiatives, under the leadership of Mr. Haile Tilahun Gebremariam, to support community dialogue and efforts by the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities to strengthen intercommunal relationships and facilitate stability and reconciliation in the Abyei Area, including the 17-19 September conference in Aweil, South Sudan, and the 7 October joint meeting at Todach, and encourages the parties to move forward with organizing the traditional leaders’ reconciliation meeting per the resolution of the AJOC meeting of 29-30 March 2015;

Welcomes UNISFA’s continued efforts, within existing capabilities and resources and, in close coordination with the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities, to strengthen the capacities of Community Protection Committees in order to assist with management of law and order processes in Abyei and to continue engaging with both governments on this issue;

Calls upon all parties to cooperate fully with the findings and recommendations following the Abyei Area Joint Investigation and Inquiry Committee’s investigation into the killing of a UNISFA peacekeeper and the Ngok Dinka Paramount Chief, welcomes the 24 March 2015 AUPSC press statement requesting the AU Commission to engage the parties on the findings and recommendations, and reiterates the need to enable the two communities to find closure on the assassination of the Ngok Dinka Paramount Chief, bearing in mind the need to promote stability and reconciliation in the Abyei Area;

Expresses its intention to review as appropriate the mandate of UNISFA for possible reconfiguration of the force in light of the compliance by Sudan and South Sudan with the decisions set forth in resolution 2046 (2012) and their commitments as set forth in the Agreements of 20 June, 29 June, 30 July 2011 and 27 September 2012, including the redeployment of all forces from the SDBZ, achieving full operational capability for the JVBMM, and the Ad Hoc Committees, as well as completing the full demilitarization of the Abyei Area;

Calls upon all Member States, in particular Sudan and South Sudan, to ensure the free, unhindered and expeditious movement, to and from Abyei and throughout the SDBZ, of all personnel, as well as equipment, provisions, supplies and other goods, including vehicles, aircraft, and spare parts, which are for the exclusive and official use of UNISFA;

Renews its call upon the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to provide full support to the United Nations, including by promptly issuing visas to military, police and civilian United Nations personnel, including humanitarian personnel, without prejudice to their nationality, for entry into Sudan and South Sudan, facilitating basing arrangements, infrastructure construction in the Mission Area and flight clearances, and providing logistical support, calls upon the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to facilitate travel from within Sudan and South Sudan to and from Abyei, and further calls upon all parties to fully adhere to their obligations under the Status of Forces Agreements;

Recognizes that the absence of development projects and the inability to deliver basic government services has had an adverse effect on Abyei populations and calls upon the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan, as well as donors to support reconstruction and capacity-building;

Demands that the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan continue to facilitate the deployment of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to ensure JBVMM freedom of movement, as well as the identification and clearance of mines in the Abyei Area and SDBZ;

Further demands that all parties involved allow all humanitarian personnel full, safe and unhindered access to civilians in need of assistance and all necessary facilities for their operations, in accordance with international law, including applicable international humanitarian law, and United Nations guiding principles of humanitarian assistance;

Strongly urges that all parties cease all forms of violence, human rights violations and abuses, violations of international humanitarian law, and violations and abuses against children in violation of applicable international law;

Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that effective human rights monitoring is carried out, and the results included in his reports to the Council, and reiterates its call upon the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan to extend their full cooperation to the Secretary-General to this end, including by issuing visas to the concerned United Nations personnel;

Requests the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures to ensure full compliance of UNISFA with the United Nations zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and to keep the Council informed if cases of such conduct occur;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue to inform the Council of progress in implementing UNISFA’s mandate in one written report, no later than 15 April 2016, and continue to bring to the Council’s immediate attention any serious violations of the above referenced Agreements;

Notes the Secretary-General’s efforts to ensure close cooperation among United Nations missions in the region, including UNISFA, the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), as well as his Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, and requests that he continue this practice;

Decides to remain actively seized of this matter.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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