UN Peacekeepers step up patrols in disputed Abyei region

Juba, South Sudan (PANA) - UN peacekeepers have been maintaining enhanced levels of patrolling to protect civilians in the disputed oil-rich Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan in the wake of recent deadly intercommunual clashes.

The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNIFSA) said patrols have been stepped up particularly in the south, where most of the violence has taken place, a UN statement said on Monday.

UNIFSA is also providing refuge to civilians displaced in the clashes, many of them children, and working with humanitarian partners to meet their needs.

It said the Mission is also engaging with stakeholders at the national and community levels to calm tensions and coordinate to provide longer-term security and voluntary return options to those displaced. 

-0- PANA MA 13Feb2024