UNITED NATIONS, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The fighting in Sudan, while having a devastating impact on the Sudanese population, is also profoundly affecting the bilateral relationship between the country and South Sudan, a United Nations envoy said on Tuesday.
The conflict in Sudan, which erupted on April 15 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is putting the incremental progress achieved by Sudan and South Sudan in addressing their outstanding bilateral issues in jeopardy, Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, special envoy of the UN secretary-general for the Horn of Africa, told a UN Security Council meeting.
The government of South Sudan is also wary of the consequences of the Sudanese conflict on South Sudan's stability and security, Tetteh said.
The unstable situation has already seen the return of South Sudanese refugees hosted by Sudan with the potential for more than 200,000 South Sudanese refugees hosted by Sudan returning to a country where two-thirds of the population already requires humanitarian assistance, she said.
Tetteh noted that as the Sudanese authorities are not currently in a position to effectively protect their borders, the insecurity at the border between Sudan and South Sudan could increase with cross-border movements of armed and criminal groups.
The fighting in Sudan is also affecting the daily commercial activities and delivery of food and other basic goods from Sudan to South Sudan and putting oil exports from South Sudan through Port Sudan at risk, she added.
Tetteh stressed that the priority now in Sudan is to stop the fighting and start constructive negotiations between the SAF and RSF that hopefully would lead to a permanent ceasefire and the return to a transitional civilian government.
This would be "the pre-requisite" for further efforts, including future engagement on Abyei, and addressing the outstanding bilateral issues between Sudan and South Sudan, she said.
Also briefing the Security Council, UN Assistant Secretary-General Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee warned that the impact of ongoing violence in Sudan is threatening to derail bilateral political progress with South Sudan, worsen the fragile humanitarian situation, and pose fresh risks.
Despite the positive momentum created earlier between Sudan and South Sudan on the issue of Abyei, a disputed border region, the outbreak of violence in Sudan "may deeply impact the chance for political progress on Abyei and border issues," Pobee said.
In Abyei, the United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) is monitoring the potential impact of the fighting in Sudan, such as an influx of displaced persons, the entry of armed groups into the area or the emboldening of spoilers in local intercommunal relations, she said.
Pobee said the humanitarian environment in Abyei remained challenging, with UN and non-governmental organizations aiding some 212,000 vulnerable people in the area, including roughly 30,000 internally displaced persons.
The outbreak of fighting in Sudan risks further complicating the humanitarian situation in Abyei, she warned.
However, Pobee affirmed that with fighting ongoing and mediation efforts underway, the United Nations will continue to support Sudan and South Sudan "when dialogue on Abyei resumes."
