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The war in Sudan is destabilizing its southern neighbor and straining resources along their shared border, senior UN officials warned the Security Council on Wednesday, as fighting between rival military factions continues to reverberate across the region.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023, has severely damaged South Sudan's already fragile economy, according to Guang Cong, deputy special representative to the secretary-general of the UN Mission in South Sudan.
Cross-border movements of armed groups have increased insecurity near the frontier, while repeated attacks on oil infrastructure have disrupted the flow of South Sudan's primary revenue source. The economic impact has been severe: South Sudan's economy contracted by 24.5% as oil exports through Sudan faced significant interruptions.
RSF forces launched drone strikes on fuel depots storing South Sudanese crude in Port Sudan on May 5-6, Cong told the council. Another attack on August 26 targeted oil facilities in Heglig, near the border, causing oil spills, environmental damage and forcing an emergency shutdown of operations.
The violence has also complicated longstanding disputes over Abyei, an oil-rich administrative area claimed by both nations. "Bilateral engagement between Sudan and South Sudan on the final status of Abyei has been at a low point since the start of the war in Sudan," Cong said.
Approximately 41,000 displaced people from Sudan have fled into Abyei since fighting began, straining limited supplies of water, food, health care and shelter, according to UN officials.
The UN expressed concern about RSF's expanding presence in northern Abyei, which violates a 2011 agreement and Security Council resolutions on the disputed territory. The armed group has established illegal checkpoints, prompting intervention by UN peacekeepers.
"I reiterate the call for the immediate withdrawal of all armed forces and other armed actors from Abyei, in conformity with the weapon-free status of Abyei," said Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, assistant secretary-general for Africa in the departments of political and peacebuilding affairs and peace operations.
Pobee warned that a 15% budget cut to UNISFA, the UN peacekeeping mission in Abyei, "will impact the mission's mandate implementation capacity by reducing the number of military and civilian personnel" and straining critical support operations.
The mission continues supporting humanitarian partners addressing high levels of acute malnutrition among children in the area, she added.
Political negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan on Abyei and border issues "remains stalled" due to the ongoing conflict, Pobee said.
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