Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of attacks on Abyei town on 27 January, attacks on Awolnhom, Minyang, Kadian and Abathok villages on 3 and 4 February, and killings and abductions in Rumamer County from 10 January to 14 February, what is their assessment of the capacity of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei at its current troop level to protect civilians in the Abyei administrative area.

United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei's (UNISFA) mandate was renewed in November last year and amended to better equip the mission to respond quickly to security incidents and to place greater emphasis on community engagement. The UK has used its position as a permanent member of the Security Council to urge both the government of South Sudan and the Sudanese authorities to ensure UNISFA can fully and effectively implement its mandate, in line with the their responsibility as host states. The extension of the UNISFA mandate from six to twelve months will also better enable the mission to develop longer-term strategies.