United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei

Last updated
United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei
AbbreviationUNISFA
Formation27 June 2011
TypePeacekeeping Mission
Legal statusActive
Headquarters Abyei Town
Head
Major General Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr
Parent organization
 United Nations Security Council
Website https://unisfa.unmissions.org/

The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is a United Nations peacekeeping force in Abyei, which is contested between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan. UNISFA was approved on 27 June 2011 by the United Nations Security Council in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1990 after a flareup in the South Kordofan conflict earlier in June 2011. [1] The Ethiopian Army was the largest contributor of personnel, and until 2022, the only contributor of individual troops. [2] [3] In February 2022 UNISFA was reconfigured into a multinational force with the arrival of a Ghanaian Battalion under Major Enoch Awudu. As a multinational force troops from a number of other countries have served in Abeyei, including Ghana, Nepal and Vietnam.

Contents

History

The peacekeepers began arriving in Abyei on 15 July 2011 after traveling overland from Ethiopia, just under a week after South Sudan formally declared its independence. [4] [5]

The UNISFA mandate has been renewed annually since 2011. [6] [7] Given that sporadic and spontaneous violence remained very high, [8] UNISFA's ability to control violence in Abyei has been questioned. [9] In its November 2024 resolution the UN Security Council ordered a strategic review of UNISFA's effectiveness no later than 15 August 2025. [7] In 2024 one of the UN peacekeepers was killed when their base in Agok was attacked. [10]

Command

In the operation's initial years, the position of Head of Mission and Force Commander were jointly held by the same person. Beginning in 2014, both positions were held by a different person. However since Haile Tilahun Gebremariam died, the acting Head of Mission has been the Force Commander.

Head of Mission, UNIFSA
No.NameNationalityTenure
1Maj. Gen. Tadesse Werede Tesfay [11] Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia 2011–2013
2Maj. Gen. Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam [12] 2013–2014
-Maj. Gen. Halefom Ejigu Moges (acting) [13] 2014–2015
3 Haile Tilahun Gebremariam [14] 2015–2016 deceased [15]
-Brig. Gen. Zewdu Kiros Gebrekidan Officer-in-charge Head of Mission12 August 2016 – 21 March 2017
-Maj. Gen. Tesfay Gidey Hailemichael (acting)21 March 2017 – 23 April 2018
-Maj. Gen. Gebre Adhana Woldezgu (acting)15 May 2018 – 23 Apr 2019
-Maj. Gen. Mehari Gebremariam (acting) [16] 23 April 2019 – 7 July 2020
-Maj. Gen. Kefyalew Amde Tessema (acting) [17] 2020–2022
-Maj. Gen. Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr (acting) [3] Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 2022– 31 May 2024 [18]
-Brig. Gen. Ameer Muhammad Umrani temporarily acting [18] [19] Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 31 May 2024 – 11 July 2024
-Maj. Gen. Robert Yaw Affram (acting) [20] Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 11 July 2024 –
Force Commander, UNIFSA
No.NameNationalityTenure
1Maj. Gen. Tadesse Werede Tesfay [11] Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia 2011–2013
2Lt. Gen. Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam [12] 2013–2014
3Maj. Gen. Birhanu Jula Gelalcha [21] 2014–2016
4Maj. Gen. Hassen Ebrahim Mussa [22] 2016–2017
5Maj. Gen. Tesfay Gidey Hailemichael [23] 2017–2018
6Maj. Gen. Gebre Adhana Woldezgu [24] 2018–2019
7Maj. Gen. Mehari Zewde Gebremariam [25] 2019–2020
8Maj. Gen. Kefyalew Amde Tessema [26] 2020–2022
9Maj. Gen. Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr [27] [3] Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 15 March 2022 – 31 May 2024
-Brig. Gen. Ameer Muhammad Umrani temporarily acting [28] Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 31 May 2024 – 11 July 2024
-Maj. Gen. Robert Yaw Affram acting [20] Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 11 July 2024 –

Contributing countries

As of 31 May 2018, the total number of personnel in the mission is 4,571, all but a little over 100 of whom are Ethiopian. [2]

CountryExpertsPoliceStaff OfficerTroops
Flag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain 2
Flag of Benin.svg  Benin 2
Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan 11
Flag of Bolivia.svg  Bolivia 2
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 2
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso 1
Flag of Burundi.svg  Burundi 3
Flag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia 1
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic 12
Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador 11
Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador 1
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia 785794,288
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 346
Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala 31
Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea 11
Flag of India.svg  India 13
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia 22
Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan 4
Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi 1
Flag of Mongolia.svg  Mongolia 11
Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 342
Flag of Nepal.svg  Nepal 31
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 22
Flag of Peru.svg  Peru 2
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 1
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda 234
Flag of Seychelles.svg  Seychelles 2
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 12
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka 51
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania 291
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 42
Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam 2
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 11
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe 2101

References

  1. ↑ BBC News – Sudan: UN authorises peacekeepers for Abyei. Bbc.co.uk (2011-06-27). Retrieved on 2012-03-26.
  2. 1 2 "UN Mission's Contributions by Country" (PDF). United Nations. 31 May 2018. pp. 31–33. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Nigeria's Major General Sawyerr assumes office as UNISFA Force Commander and Acting Head of Mission". UNISFA. 16 March 2022.
  4. ↑ "Ethiopian peacekeepers to arrive in Abyei Friday". San Jose Mercury News. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  5. ↑ Ashine, Argaw (15 July 2011). "Ethiopian peacekeepers arrive in contested Abyei". Africa Review. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  6. ↑ "Security Council Adopts Resolution 2445 (2018), Extending Mandate of United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei". 15 November 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Security Council Extends Mandate of United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei for One Year, Adopting Resolution 2760 (2024)". 14 November 2024.
  8. ↑ "UNISFA condemns recent attacks in Abyei". UNmissions.org. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  9. ↑ Yaw Tchie, Andrew E.; Edu-Afful, Fiifi (2024). A Forgotten People in An Unstable Region: The Effectiveness of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (pdf). EPON & TfP Report. Norsk Utenrikspolitisk Institutt (NUPI). ISBN   978-82-7002-369-1.
  10. ↑ "A Dozens killed as violence flares in region disputed by Sudan, South Sudan". al Jazeera. 29 January 2024. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024.
  11. 1 2 UN Chief names commander of Abyei peacekeeping mission, Sudan Tribune, 07-30-2011
  12. 1 2 'Secretary-General Appoints Lieutenant General Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam of Ethiopia Force Commander of United Nations Mission in South Sudan', UN press release, 17 June 2014, accessed 12 September 2017, <https://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sga1477.doc.htm>
  13. ↑ "Secretary-General Appoints Haile Tilahun Gebremariam of Ethiopia Head of Mission for Abyei | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". www.un.org. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
  14. ↑ "Secretary-General Appoints Haile Tilahun Gebremariam of Ethiopia as Head of Mission for Abyei". United Nations.
  15. ↑ "With gratitude and respect Honoring a former UNISFA Head of Mission" (PDF). The Beacon. 1 (1): 3. August 2016.
  16. ↑ "UNISFA Leadership". UNISFA. 7 August 2020. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020.
  17. ↑ "Secretary-General Appoints Major General Kefyalew Amde Tessema of Ethiopia Force Commander, United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei". UN Press Release. 15 June 2020.
  18. 1 2 General Sawyerr was placed on administrative leave pending investigation and subsequently removed. "Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General". United Nations. 31 May 2024.
  19. ↑ "Brigadier Ameer Umrani assumes temporary command of UNISFA". Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of Pakistan. 1 June 2024.
  20. 1 2 "UNISFA Ledaership". UNISFA. Archived from the original on 27 December 2024.
  21. ↑ "Secretary-General Appoints Major General Birhanu Jula Gelalcha of Ethiopia Force Commander of United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei". United Nations.
  22. ↑ "Secretary-General Appoints Major General Hassen Ebrahim Mussa of Ethiopia Force Commander, United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei". United Nations.
  23. ↑ "Secretary-General Appoints Major General Tesfay Gidey Hailemichael of Ethiopia Force Commander, United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". www.un.org. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
  24. ↑ "Secretary-General Appoints Major General Gebre Adhana Woldezgu of Ethiopia as Force Commander for United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". www.un.org. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
  25. ↑ https://press.un.org/en/2019/sga1859.doc.htm
  26. ↑ https://press.un.org/en/2020/sga1961.doc.htm
  27. ↑ https://press.un.org/en/2022/sga2095.doc.htm
  28. ↑ "Brigadier Ameer Umrani assumes temporary command of UNISFA". Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of Pakistan. 1 June 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.