S/2020/408 Security Council

In accordance with the procedure agreed upon by the members of the Security Council in the light of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic, as set out in the letter dated 27 March 2020 from the President of the Security Council addressed to all members of the Council (S/2020/253), I would like to draw your attention to the following issue. The members of the Council have discussed the draft resolution submitted by the United States of America, regarding the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (S/2020/387). The draft resolution has been put in blue (see enclosure). In my capacity as President of the Security Council, I hereby put the above- mentioned draft resolution to a vote. The non-extendable 24-hour voting period for this draft resolution will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 13 May 2020. The non-extendable 24-hour voting period will expire at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 14 May 2020. Please submit your vote (in favour, against, or abstain) on the draft resolution, as well as your possible explanation of vote, by sending a letter signed by the Permanent Representative or Chargé d’affaires a.i. within the non-extendable 24-hour voting period set out above to the Director of the Security Council Affairs Division in the United Nations Secretariat (egian@un.org). It is my intention to circulate a letter listing the outcome of the vote within three hours of the conclusion of the 24-hour voting period. I also intend to convene a video teleconference of the Security Council to announce the outcome of the vote shortly after the conclusion of the voting period, on the afternoon of Thursday 14 May 2020.

The United States thanks fellow Council members for demonstrating their ongoing support to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). We would also like to extend particular thanks to Ethiopia for its contributions to UNISFA. As both the Sudan and South Sudan respond to coronavirus disease and engage in their own political transitions, the people of Abyei must not be forgotten. They deserve to live peacefully, without fear of attack or intimidation. Abyei’s women in particular should be supported to fully, effectively and meaningfully participate in discussions about their own security and future. Reports of violence and tensions in Abyei are disturbing, and the continued loss of life remains unacceptable. We call for restraint from the local communities and dialogue and look to the Sudan and South Sudan to deliver on establishing temporary security and administrative arrangements that can provide a framework for lasting peace in this sensitive area. That step is critical to supporting long-term peace efforts in both South Sudan and the Sudan and in the broader region. With this renewed mandate, the Security Council reiterates that the Sudan and South Sudan should remove all obstacles to the implementation of UNISFA’s mandate, including by allowing the deployment of UNISFA personnel to improve the protection of civilians. We also reiterate our call for senior United Nations officials and the African Union to step up their engagement with the Sudan and South Sudan in order to maintain momentum towards resolving Abyei’s status and ensuring UNISFA can fully implement its mandate. The United States remains committed to supporting peace and security in Abyei and in the Sudan and South Sudan.