Security Council Extends Life Of UN Sudan Mission

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS LIFE OF UN MISSION IN SUDAN BY ANOTHER WEEK

New York, Mar 17 2005 12:00PM

The Security Council voted today to extend the mandate of the United Nations Advance Mission in Sudan (UNAMIS) by a week – the second time it has done so this month – while its members discuss plans to set up a peacekeeping mission in the south of the country and outline measures to encourage peace in the war-torn Darfur region in the west.

The Council’s 15 members unanimously adopted a resolution that maintains UNAMIS until 24 March, after its mandate had been originally due to expire today. Last Thursday the mandate was also extended by a week.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has proposed the creation of a peacekeeping force comprised of at least 10,000 military personnel in southern Sudan to help the vast region stabilize after the Sudanese Government and local rebel forces signed a peace agreement in January ending their 21-year civil war.

The new mission – which would replace UNAMIS – is projected to cost more than $1 billion to establish and run during its first 12 months of operation.

Council members are also still debating what measures should be contained in a resolution on the situation in Darfur, where many tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly 2 million others displaced from their homes since rebels took up arms against Government forces, later backed by local militias, in early 2003.

2005-03-17 00:00:00.000

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