NEW YORK, November 17 (RIA Novosti) – The UN Security Council has extended the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in Abyei, an oil-rich border area contested by Sudan and South Sudan, for another six months, until May 31, 2013.
“In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council also demanded that the two countries finalize the establishment of an administration for the area, as well as constitute a police service, in line with an agreement signed in June 2011,” the UN News Service said on Friday.
The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is an international force consisting of 3,800 troops and 137 military observers from several countries, including Russia.
It was established in June 2011 following an outbreak of violence after Sudanese troops took control of the area, displacing tens of thousands of people in the weeks before South Sudan became an independent state after seceding from Sudan.
The UNISFA mandate includes monitoring the demilitarization of the area, assisting local authorities in maintaining security, and protecting the UN personnel and humanitarian workers operating in Abyei.
“The Abyei Area shall be demilitarized from any forces other than UNISFA and the Abyei Police Service,” the UN Security Council said.
Both Sudan and South Sudan have earlier been given a December 5 deadline by the African Union to determine the final status of Abyei.
