| Spokesperson Ambassador Dina Mufti told WIC today that the deployment was launched following an agreement reached between the North and South Sudan leaders to demilitarize the disputed region of Abyei and allow Ethiopian peacekeeping forces monitor the peace. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) late last month unanimously approved the deployment of 4,200 Ethiopian peacekeeping forces. The new UN peacekeeping force called the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is mandated to monitor peace for the coming six months. Ambassador Dina said the country began the deployment of peacekeeping force last week. "I am confident that the peacekeeping force will fulfill its mission to satisfy all concerned bodies," Ambassador Dina said. UNISFA is tasked to protect civilians, maintaining a buffer zone and create peaceful environment to allow a referendum in the oil rich Abyei region. South Sudan officially became an independent state on 9 July 2011 after its citizens overwhelmingly voted to split from the North. The Ambassador underlined the need for the two sides to engage in post-independence negotiations to resolve other pending issues including oil revenue sharing, border demarcation, citizenship and the Blue Nile River. Under the African Union (AU) and UN missions in Africa, Ethiopian forces have served in peacekeeping missions in Rwanda, Burundi, Liberia and Democratic Republic of Congo. |
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