The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has announced plans to evacuate its logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan, following what it described as a “heinous attack” that killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and left eight others severely injured last weekend.
In a statement issued on Thursday, UNISFA said the decision had been formally communicated to the relevant authorities after an extensive assessment of the security situation in Kadugli. According to the mission, the deteriorating conditions have rendered the environment unsafe and disabled the UN’s capacity to function effectively in the area.
UNISFA was established in 2011 to operate in Abyei, the disputed oil-rich region between Sudan and South Sudan. Its mandate includes monitoring and verifying the redeployment of forces, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and protecting civilians.
Earlier in November, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Pobee, told the UN Security Council that progress on the political process had been slow since the outbreak of the Sudan conflict in 2023, alongside rising political instability in South Sudan. She warned that the operational environment in Kadugli had become “untenable,” with ongoing fighting posing serious risks to peacekeepers.
Despite the evacuation decision, UNISFA reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the mandate of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM). The mission said it is closely monitoring developments on the ground and will reconsider resuming activities in Kadugli when security conditions improve.