On Monday, the United Nations warned that the ongoing battles in Sudan between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are nearing the borders of South Sudan and the disputed region of Abyei.
The Abyei area, which is rich in oil resources, straddles the border between Sudan and South Sudan and is claimed by both sides.
The war between rival militaries in Sudan has interrupted encouraging signs of dialogue between Sudan and neighbouring South Sudan and effectively put on hold talks over disputed Abyei, senior UN officials told the Security Council on Monday.
Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, stated, during a session at the United Nations Security Council, that the conflict in Sudan has significant humanitarian, security, and economic consequences that concern leaders in South Sudan.
Tetteh addressed the military developments in Sudan, including the recent capture by the RSF of the oilfield and airport in Baleela in the Sudanese state of West Kordofan.
She noted that the RSF is now getting closer to Abyei, controlling parts of the border with South Sudan. She further clarified that with this attack in West Kordofan, the RSF gained control over a part of the border with South Sudan.
The Abyei region, located between Sudan and South Sudan, has been a tension point between the two countries since South Sudan gained its independence in July 2011.
Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese army under the leadership of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemetdi, have been engaged in a war that has resulted in approximately 9,000 deaths, with nearly 6 million internally and externally displaced people, according to the latest United Nations statistics.