UNSC extends South Sudan mission

Approving a one-year extension of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, the Security Council has demanded an end to the fighting in the war-riven country, and decided that the mission, known as UNMISS, shall “use all necessary means” to “deter and prevent” sexual violence within its capacity, and “monitor, investigate and report incidents of hate speech,” according to the UN News Center.

Through a unanimously adopted resolution, the Security Council extended the mandate of UNMISS through 15 December 2017, maintaining its core functions, while also maintaining a troop ceiling of 17,000, including a 4,000-strong Regional Protection Force (approved in mid-August), and increasing the police ceiling to 2,101 police personnel, and 78 corrections officers, and requesting the Secretary-General “to take the necessary steps to expedite force and asset generation.”

South Sudan has faced ongoing challenges since a political face-off between President Salva Kiir and his Vice-President Riek Machar erupted into full blown conflict in December 2013. The crisis has produced one of the world's worst displacement situations with immense suffering for civilians.

Source: MENA