The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is a United Nations peacekeeping force in Abyei, which is contested between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan. UNISFA was approved on 27 June 2011 by the United Nations Security Council in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1990 after a flareup in the South Kordofan conflict earlier in June 2011.BBC News – Sudan: UN authorises peacekeepers for Abyei. Bbc.co.uk (2011-06-27). Retrieved on 2012-03-26. The Ethiopian Army was the largest contributor of personnel, and until 2022, the only contributor of individual troops. In February 2022 UNISFA was reconfigured into a multinational force with the arrival of a Ghanaian Battalion under Major Enoch Awudu. As a multinational force troops from a number of other countries have served in Abeyei, including Ghana, Nepal and Vietnam.
History The peacekeepers began arriving in Abyei on 15 July 2011 after traveling overland from Ethiopia, just under a week after South Sudan formally declared its independence.
The UNISFA mandate has been renewed annually since 2011. Given that sporadic and spontaneous violence remained very high, UNISFA's ability to control violence in Abyei has been questioned. In its November 2024 resolution the UN Security Council ordered a strategic review of UNISFA's effectiveness no later than 15 August 2025. In 2024 one of the UN peacekeepers was killed when their base in Agok was attacked.
On 13 December 2025, six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed in a drone strike at a logistics base in Kadugli. Another eight peacekeepers were injured.
Command In the operation's initial years, the position of Head of Mission and Force Commander were jointly held by the same person. Beginning in 2014, both positions were held by a different person. However since Haile Tilahun Gebremariam died, the acting Head of Mission has been the Force Commander.
Head of Mission, UNIFSANo.NameNationalityTenure1Maj. Gen. Tadesse Werede TesfayUN Chief names commander of Abyei peacekeeping mission, Sudan Tribune, 07-30-20112011–20132Maj. Gen. Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam'Secretary-General Appoints Lieutenant General Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam of Ethiopia Force Commander of United Nations Mission in South Sudan', UN press release, 17 June 2014, accessed 12 September 2017, <https://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sga1477.doc.htm>2013–2014 -Maj. Gen. Halefom Ejigu Moges (acting)2014–20153Haile Tilahun Gebremariam2015–2016 deceased -Brig. Gen. Zewdu Kiros Gebrekidan Officer-in-charge Head of Mission12 August 2016 – 21 March 2017 -Maj. Gen. Tesfay Gidey Hailemichael (acting)21 March 2017 – 23 April 2018 -Maj. Gen. Gebre Adhana Woldezgu (acting)15 May 2018 – 23 Apr 2019 -Maj. Gen. Mehari Gebremariam (acting)23 April 2019 – 7 July 2020 -Maj. Gen. Kefyalew Amde Tessema (acting)2020–2022 -Maj. Gen. Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr (acting)2022– 31 May 2024General Sawyerr was placed on administrative leave pending investigation and subsequently removed. -Brig. Gen. Ameer Muhammad Umrani temporarily acting31 May 2024 – 11 July 2024 -Maj. Gen. Robert Yaw Affram (acting)11 July 2024 – Force Commander, UNIFSANo.NameNationalityTenure1Maj. Gen. Tadesse Werede Tesfay2011–20132Lt. Gen. Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam2013–20143Maj. Gen. Birhanu Jula Gelalcha2014–20164Maj. Gen. Hassen Ebrahim Mussa2016–20175Maj. Gen. Tesfay Gidey Hailemichael2017–20186Maj. Gen. Gebre Adhana Woldezgu2018–20197Maj. Gen. Mehari Zewde Gebremariam2019–20208Maj. Gen. Kefyalew Amde Tessema2020–20229Maj. Gen. Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr15 March 2022 – 31 May 2024 -Brig. Gen. Ameer Muhammad Umrani temporarily acting31 May 2024 – 11 July 2024 -Maj. Gen. Robert Yaw Affram acting11 July 2024 – 2 December 202510Lt. Gen. Ganesh Kumar Shrestha2 December 2025 –
Contributing countries As of 31 May 2018, the total number of personnel in the mission is 4,571, all but a little over 100 of whom are Ethiopian.
CountryExpertsPoliceStaff OfficerTroops 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 3 1 1 2 1 1 1785794,288 3 4 6 3 111 1 3 2 2 4 1 1 1 3 4 2 3 1 2 2 2 1 2 3 4 2 1 2 5 1 2 9 1 4 2 2 1 1 2 10 1
References
External links United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei