US warns of UNISFA closure over lack of progress by Sudan, South Sudan

NEW YORK – The United States has raised the prospect of shutting down the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), citing a lack of progress by both Sudan and South Sudan on key commitments tied to the mission’s mandate, especially on the status of Abyei.

Addressing the United Nations Security Council, US Ambassador Jennifer Locetta said UNISFA has become a symbol of peacekeeping missions that have outlived their intended purpose.

“UNISFA exemplifies this problem. It’s a supposedly ‘interim’ force which has consumed billions of dollars over its 15 years in place, with little to show for in lasting political progress,” Locetta said.

She noted that despite the mission’s long presence in the disputed Abyei region, Khartoum and Juba have failed to resolve core issues, including border demarcation, the demilitarisation of Abyei, and the determination of the territory’s final status.

“In fact, during UNISFA’s tenure, the governments of Sudan and South Sudan have made virtually no progress,” she said.

The US diplomat further accused both governments of actively undermining the mission’s effectiveness.

“Worse, both governments actively undermine [it] through deliberate acts of obstruction disguised as bureaucratic delays,” she said, pointing to actions such as blocking the appointment of a civilian deputy head of mission and denying visas to UN personnel.

Locetta warned that continued renewal of UNISFA’s mandate would depend on measurable progress from both countries.

“Sudan and South Sudan must unequivocally demonstrate progress on these benchmarks… if they want to see this mission renewed another year. Their actions are speaking louder than their words,” she said.

Her remarks signal growing frustration within Washington over what it sees as a pattern of stalled peace processes coupled with routine extensions of costly UN missions.

“Peacekeeping missions have a clear job to do: fulfil their mandates. Our peacekeepers should always be working themselves out of a job,” Locetta said, adding that “appeasing host governments to maintain ambiguous consent is not their job.”

She also criticised the broader tendency of the Security Council to renew struggling missions without meaningful reforms. “We have seen missions blocked, restricted, and ignored—yet these missions are renewed anyway,” she said.

The US reiterated its position that peacekeeping operations are temporary tools, not indefinite deployments.

“When conditions change, peacekeeping missions need to adapt or close,” Locetta stressed.
The warning places renewed pressure on both Sudan and South Sudan to demonstrate tangible political progress in Abyei or risk losing the UN’s long-standing security presence in the contested region.