Rodney Hunter
Political Coordinator
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, New York
November 12, 2020
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Madam President. And thank you, to all the members of the Council for your support for this incredibly important mandate.
As the world continues to grapple with COVID-19, we express our thanks to all the Council members for demonstrating their ongoing support for UNISFA. We would also like to extend particular thanks to Ethiopia for its contributions to UNISFA.
The people of Abyei deserve to live in peace without fear of violence. They also deserve a functioning administration that can offer security and the rule of law. We must not lose sight of these goals.
In this resolution, the Security Council welcomes and encourages continued engagement between Sudan and South Sudan to resolve the Abyei dispute. Commitments to address border issues and review barriers to full implementation of UNISFA’s mandate, as agreed during the October 2020 Meeting of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism, are very welcome developments. The parties should maintain their momentum.
We look forward to the outcomes of the UN Secretary-General’s joint consultation with Sudan, South Sudan, and Ethiopia on UNISFA’s exit strategy, which the Security Council has requested in this resolution. Given the warming relations between Sudan and South Sudan, a responsible exit strategy should be developed, and it must account for the continued security needs of the people of Abyei.
We urge the African Union to play a key role in this consultation and support the parties to achieve further political progress, especially as they take their own steps to resolve the Abyei dispute and address border issues.
The United States remains committed to supporting peace and security in Abyei, and in Sudan and South Sudan.
Thank you, Madam President.
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