Pakistan urges South Sudan & Sudan to engage in 'sustained' dialogue to resolve disputed Abyei’s status

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th May, 2026) Pakistan Wednesday called for a sustained political dialogue between Sudan and its neighbor, South Sudan, for resolving the final status of Abyei — the disputed area along the border between the two countries.

"The situation in Abyei remains fragile and increasingly complex, shaped by the conflict in Sudan, instability in South Sudan, intercommunal tensions, arms proliferation, criminality, and the presence of unauthorized armed actors, including the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)," Ambassador Usman Jadoon, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan, told the UN Security Council, as he underscored the role of UN Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in protecting civilians, supporting intercommunal dialogue and facilitating humanitarian access.

(In Sudan, RSF is engaged in a brutal civil war against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), controlling much of Darfur and Kordofan while establishing a parallel government.)

In his remarks, Ambassador Jadoon said voiced strong support for the UN Mission, which include around 600 Pakistani peacekeepers, for helping to preserve fragile peace and preventing backsliding, while sustaining conditions necessary for political engagement.

Noting that both Sudan and South Sudan face serious internal challenges, the Pakistani envoy urged them to continue engagement through existing mechanisms, with support from the United Nations and other regional partners.

Pakistan, he said, strongly condemns the 13 December drone attack on the UNISFA logistics base in Kadugli, which killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers, and extended deepest condolences to Bangladesh and the families of the victims.

"Those responsible must be held accountable," Ambassador Jadoon said. "Financial considerations must not undermine protection, safety and security and accountability for crimes against peacekeepers."

Reminding that the Security Council has repeatedly emphasized the need for deploying police units, he called for providing adequate resources for the purpose as it was essential to UNISFA's mandate.

At the outset, the UN Assistant Secretary-General in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, said, “The political environment in Abyei remained constrained by the conflict in the Sudan and instability in South Sudan."

This situation limited progress by the two countries towards resolving their disputes over the management of the Abyei territory and its final status.

In a 2 April letter, South Sudan informed the UN of steps taken to advance the benchmarks set out in resolution 2802 (2025), she said.

This includes a request for UN support to convene the Joint Political and Security Mechanism at the earliest opportunity.

Both Governments have informed the UN of the focal points for this endeavor.

"This would be the first time that the Governments of South Sudan and Sudan come together formally to discuss joint border-related matters in several years", she affirmed.