The United Nations Interim Security Force (UNISFA) was established in June 2011 by UN Security Council Resolution 1990 (SCR) to provide security within the disputed region of Abyei, Sudan, pending a referendum which would decide the final status of the area.
This was further expanded to include the provision of support to the Joint Border Verification Monitoring Mission (JBVMM) whose objective is to patrol the Safe Demilitarised Border Zone, a 10km wide strip both north and south of the new international border between Sudan and South Sudan.
TDI was selected to support both UNISFA and the JBVMM with the following capacities:
- A Route Verification and Clearance Capacity will operate throughout conducting route surveys, verification and clearance in support of the UNISFA mission.
- A Multi-tasking capacity to deal with a wide range of threats including anti-tank mines and aerial bombs following the recent fighting.
- Patrol Support teams which will deploy with the JBVMM patrols providing EOD support.
Teams will work out of TDI headquarters in Abyei with a further HQ co-located in Assosa with the JBVMM HQ.
JBVMM teams continue to be on stand-by in Juba, ready to deploy to the new JBVMM team sites and HQ when confirmed.
The MTT teams have completed their training and accreditation and are operational. The RVT teams are engaged in training and attending to spot EOD tasks while the heavy plant makes its way north from Juba.
The teams are making progress with 468 items of ERW and over 500kg of small arms and ammunition recovered and destroyed. General Mine Action Assessment has been carried out in 25 villages and over 57,560m² of land in the Agok and Noong areas have been signed off by UNMAS as cleared.
Steve Saffin, Operations Manager, said: “The environment we are working in is challenging, but despite the difficulties we are pleased with the progress that is being made.”
