A senior UN official has warned that Sudan’s ongoing civil war is destabilizing neighbouring South Sudan and worsening its economic and humanitarian conditions.
Guang Cong, deputy special representative to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), told the Security Council that the war between General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces has deeply strained bilateral relations since erupting in April 2023.
He said cross-border movements of armed groups have intensified insecurity along the shared frontier, fueling violence and displacement in border regions.
South Sudan’s economy, heavily dependent on oil exports through Sudan, has suffered a severe blow, contracting by nearly 25% amid pipeline disruptions.
He added that negotiations over the oil-rich Abyei region — long contested by both countries — have reached a deadlock, further endangering regional stability.
Since the conflict began, around 41,000 Sudanese have fled into Abyei, straining already limited food, water and medical resources, according to the UN official.
Cong expressed concern that the RSF’s presence in northern Abyei violates the 2011 security agreement and UN resolutions safeguarding the demilitarized zone.
Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, UN assistant secretary-general for Africa, said that political talks over Abyei and border issues remain frozen amid escalating hostilities.
She warned that illegal checkpoints and growing militia activity have forced UN peacekeepers to intervene to protect civilians.
Pobee urged the withdrawal of all armed groups from Abyei and cautioned that UN peacekeeping operations face mounting pressure following a 15% budget cut, threatening the mission’s capacity to sustain critical humanitarian efforts.
