Major General Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr, the Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander for the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), has been recognized by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, for his exceptional leadership under challenging circumstances.
The commendation was included in the Secretary-General’s report on Abyei, which was presented to the UN Security Council by Martha Phobee, the Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Department of Political and Peace Building Affairs and Peace Operations.
Guterres thanked General Sawyerr, as well as the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Hanna Tetteh, and all UNISFA personnel, agencies, funds, and programmes for their dedication to maintaining peace and security in Abyei, despite increasingly difficult conditions.
He also praised General Sawyerr for overseeing the late stages of the mission’s transition from a single troop-contributing country to a multinational force comprising eight troop-contributing countries.
Guterres expressed concern that UNISFA was overstretched and that the absence of progress on the deployment of the three Formed Police Units, in line with the Security Council’s authorization, was putting a strain on the mission.
He urged both parties to allow for their deployment and highlighted that the outbreak of violence in Sudan in April could impact the mission’s capacity, including the deployment of troops and equipment.
Guterres condemned the repeated restrictions on the freedom of movement of UNISFA and its contractors, which hindered the mission’s ability to carry out its mandate fully.
He called on both parties to ensure that the freedom of movement of UNISFA in its area of responsibility is maintained.
It is worth noting that General Sawyerr assumed the role of UNISFA’s Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander on March 15, 2022, succeeding Ethiopia’s Major General Kefyalew Amde Tessema and leading the newly reconfigured multinational peacekeeping mission.
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