United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei
United Nations peacekeeping mission
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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.[1] The Ethiopian Army was the largest contributor of personnel, and until 2022, the only contributor of individual troops.[2][3] 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.
| |
| Abbreviation | UNISFA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 27 June 2011 |
| Type | Peacekeeping Mission |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | Abyei Town |
Force Commander | Lieutenant General Ganesh Kumar Shrestha |
Parent organization | United Nations Security Council |
| Website | https://unisfa.unmissions.org/ |
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.[4][5]
The UNISFA mandate has been renewed annually since 2011.[6][7] Given that sporadic and spontaneous violence remained very high,[8] UNISFA's ability to control violence in Abyei has been questioned.[9] In its November 2024 resolution the UN Security Council ordered a strategic review of UNISFA's effectiveness no later than 15 August 2025.[7] In 2024 one of the UN peacekeepers was killed when their base in Agok was attacked.[10]
On 13 December 2025, six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed in a drone strike at a logistics base in Kadugli. Another eight peacekeepers were injured.[11]
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, UNIFSA | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Nationality | Tenure | ||||
| 1 | Maj. Gen. Tadesse Werede Tesfay[12] |  Ethiopia |
2011–2013 | ||||
| 2 | Maj. Gen. Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam[13] | 2013–2014 | |||||
| - | Maj. Gen. Halefom Ejigu Moges (acting)[14] | 2014–2015 | |||||
| 3 | Haile Tilahun Gebremariam[15] | 2015–2016 deceased[16] | |||||
| - | Brig. Gen. Zewdu Kiros Gebrekidan Officer-in-charge Head of Mission | 12 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)[17] | 23 April 2019 – 7 July 2020 | |||||
| - | Maj. Gen. Kefyalew Amde Tessema (acting)[18] | 2020–2022 | |||||
| - | Maj. Gen. Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr (acting)[3] |  Nigeria |
2022– 31 May 2024[19] | ||||
| - | Brig. Gen. Ameer Muhammad Umrani temporarily acting[19][20] |  Pakistan |
31 May 2024 – 11 July 2024 | ||||
| - | Maj. Gen. Robert Yaw Affram (acting)[21] |  Ghana |
11 July 2024 – | ||||
| Force Commander, UNIFSA | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Nationality | Tenure |
| 1 | Maj. Gen. Tadesse Werede Tesfay[12] | Ethiopia |
2011–2013 |
| 2 | Lt. Gen. Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam[13] | 2013–2014 | |
| 3 | Maj. Gen. Birhanu Jula Gelalcha[22] | 2014–2016 | |
| 4 | Maj. Gen. Hassen Ebrahim Mussa[23] | 2016–2017 | |
| 5 | Maj. Gen. Tesfay Gidey Hailemichael[24] | 2017–2018 | |
| 6 | Maj. Gen. Gebre Adhana Woldezgu[25] | 2018–2019 | |
| 7 | Maj. Gen. Mehari Zewde Gebremariam[26] | 2019–2020 | |
| 8 | Maj. Gen. Kefyalew Amde Tessema[27] | 2020–2022 | |
| 9 | Maj. Gen. Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr[28][3] | Nigeria |
15 March 2022 – 31 May 2024 |
| - | Brig. Gen. Ameer Muhammad Umrani temporarily acting[29] | Pakistan |
31 May 2024 – 11 July 2024 |
| - | Maj. Gen. Robert Yaw Affram acting[21] | Ghana |
11 July 2024 – 2 December 2025 |
| 10 | Lt. Gen. Ganesh Kumar Shrestha[30] |  Nepal |
2 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.[2]
| Country | Experts | Police | Staff Officer | Troops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bahrain |
2 | |||
 Benin |
2 | |||
 Bhutan |
1 | 1 | ||
 Bolivia |
2 | |||
 Brazil |
2 | |||
 Burkina Faso |
1 | |||
 Burundi |
3 | |||
 Cambodia |
1 | |||
 Dominican Republic |
1 | 2 | ||
 Ecuador |
1 | 1 | ||
 El Salvador |
1 | |||
| Ethiopia |
78 | 5 | 79 | 4,288 |
| Ghana |
3 | 4 | 6 | |
 Guatemala |
3 | 1 | ||
 Guinea |
1 | 1 | ||
 India |
1 | 3 | ||
 Indonesia |
2 | 2 | ||
 Jordan |
4 | |||
 Malawi |
1 | |||
 Mongolia |
1 | 1 | ||
 Namibia |
3 | 4 | 2 | |
| Nepal |
3 | 1 | ||
| Nigeria |
2 | 2 | ||
 Peru |
2 | |||
 Russia |
1 | |||
 Rwanda |
2 | 3 | 4 | |
 Seychelles |
2 | |||
 Sierra Leone |
1 | 2 | ||
 Sri Lanka |
5 | 1 | ||
 Tanzania |
2 | 9 | 1 | |
 Ukraine |
4 | 2 | ||
 Vietnam |
2 | |||
 Zambia |
1 | 1 | ||
 Zimbabwe |
2 | 10 | 1 |