Security Council extends mandate of UN mission in Sudan by one week10 March 2005 – The Security Council today voted to extend the mandate of the United Nations Advance Mission in Sudan (UNAMIS) by a week while members discuss plans to establish a fully-fledged peacekeeping mission in the south of Africa's largest country and set out measures to encourage peace in the troubled Darfur region in the west.
The Council's 15 members unanimously adopted a resolution that maintains UNAMIS until 17 March, after its mandate had been originally due to expire today.
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 region stabilize after the Sudanese Government and rebel forces signed a peace agreement in January ending their 21-year civil war.
The new mission - which would replace UNAMIS - is expected to cost more than $1 billion to establish and run for its first 12 months.
Council members are also 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 two million others displaced from their homes since rebels took up arms against Government forces and allied militias in early 2003.
On Monday Mr. Annan summoned Council members to a meeting to press for a beefed-up international force on the ground in Darfur to prevent further killings, rapes and other human rights abuses. Currently about 1,900 African Union (AU) monitors are stationed in the region.
UNAMIS reported today that a humanitarian convoy of non-governmental organization (NGO) workers was ambushed by armed tribesmen on camelback on a road in South Darfur. One of the six vehicles in the convoy overturned after the tribesmen fired shots, the second incident on the same road in two days.
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