Sudanese Officials Reject Deployment of UN Peacekeepers along North-South Border

Strategic Insights -

Sudanese officials, including the foreign minister and head of the ruling National Congress Party, have rejected the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers on the border between the northern and southern Sudan, citing a violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the country's sovereignty. The First Vice President and head of the southern Sudan government, Salva Kiir, had requested the deployment of international troops along the north-south border ahead of the referendum on self-determination in southern Sudan, scheduled for January 2011. However, Sudan's foreign minister, Ali Ahmed Karti, and the head of the political secretary at the ruling National Congress Party, Ibrahim Ghandoor, have rejected this measure, saying it is contrary to the CPA and unacceptable.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sudanese officials have rejected the deployment of UN peacekeepers on the border between the northern and southern Sudan, citing a violation of the CPA and the country's sovereignty.
  • The First Vice President and head of the southern Sudan government, Salva Kiir, had requested the deployment of international troops along the north-south border ahead of the referendum on self-determination in southern Sudan.
  • The Sudanese government has insisted that any measure, including the deployment of UN peacekeepers, must be agreed upon by both the federal government and the southern Sudan government.
  • The UN has stated that they would consider Kiir's request but did not make any promise to the president of southern Sudan government.
  • The UNMIS peacekeepers have a specific mandate to monitor and verify the implementation of the CPA and monitor the movement of armed groups based on the ceasefire agreement, but their mission does not include border monitoring.

Statistics:

  • 10,000: The number of UNMIS peacekeepers deployed in Sudan.
  • 2005: The year in which the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed.
  • 20%: The percentage of the poorly demarcated north-south border.
  • January 2011: The scheduled date for the referendum on self-determination in southern Sudan.
  • 2003-2009: The copyright range of the Sudan Tribune, which provided the original article.
  • 18 March 2006: The date on which Bangladeshi troops of the UNMIS contingent arrived in Juba, Sudan.
  • 10 October 2010: The date on which the article was published by Sudan Tribune.

Sources:

  • ST - Sudan Tribune, October 10, 2010.
  • Reuters - various diplomats' quotes.
  • UNMIS - United Nations Mission in Sudan, mandate details.