The Sudanese government on Tuesday announced that the United Nations (UN) has agreed to withdraw its Ethiopian peacekeepers deployed in Abyei, a disputed area that straddles the border Sudan and South Sudan…
The deal to withdraw was reached after Sudan’s minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, requested the move on behalf of the Sudanese government, This came after a a virtual meeting held with the UN Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, in the presence of other UN officials last night.
As per the reached agreement, Ethiopian soldiers within the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) will withdraw in the next three months, The Sudanese minister welcomed the development, and thanked the UN for its understanding of Sudan’s request. The country wants Ethiopian forces replaced by peacekeepers from other countries.
The UN forces contribute to peacekeeping in Abyei. There are currently more than 3,000 Ethiopian peacekeepers in Abyei State, according to a UN report, Ethiopian soldiers were deployed in the disputed region after South Sudan gained independence in a referendum.
